Most dog owners are well aware of the danger of parvovirus. Its
infection is difficult to treat and potentially deadly.
Fortunately, vaccinations have all but eliminated parvo from the
canine population in our area.
Most dog owners are well aware of the danger of parvovirus. Its infection is difficult to treat and potentially deadly. Fortunately, vaccinations have all but eliminated parvo from the canine population in our area.
Protection against this bug is part of a veterinarians’ core vaccine program for pooches. But every once in a while, this virus rears its ugly head and we’re reminded of its serious nature. And that’s exactly what has happened in the past few weeks here in South Valley.
Several veterinarians have recently seen a cluster of parvovirus infections in young pups. The symptoms have been typical – depression, vomit and diarrhea with blood in the stool. Luckily so far, most of the infected pups have survived. Each and every case is considered critical until the patient has completely recovered.
Many of these infected dogs were around eight weeks of age and otherwise very healthy. In one instance, an infected litter had never left the property where they were born.
Furthermore, they had just had their first vaccination in their puppy series of shots right before they fell ill. Many people would have thought that they were already protected. How could they fall ill? Where did their infection originate?
As we found out about some of the other sick dogs in the area, we realized that many of them had something in common. A lot of the infected dogs belonged to people who had been at a dog show the previous week in the Bay Area.
Most hadn’t taken their pups to the show, but they must have brought the parvovirus organisms home, either on their shoes or clothing. Parvo travels easily, and all it takes is one shoe stepping in some infected poop on the ground, and the “bugs” will go anywhere that person walks. So it’s easy to see how a sick dog at one of these larger dog shows can spread a lot of disease and turmoil.
The important point here is that parvo still exists, and regular vaccinations are still very important. Vaccinated dogs are well-protected. Unvaccinated dogs get sick. So stay up-to-date with your pet’s vaccines.
In addition, remember that puppies are not fully protected until at least 10 days after they finish their entire puppy series of vaccines. Don’t take any chances.
But there’s a loose end to this story. I’m puzzled. I don’t understand why someone would take a sick dog to a show. Some might say that the owner probably didn’t even know that his or her dog was ill. Maybe so, but I’ve seen too many instances where a dog with mild symptoms of an illness was taken to a show by its owner. Too many people overlook the obvious because it inconveniences them. Their dog is ill, but not sick enough to leave home.
So how do you protect your dogs? Always be on the lookout. If you’re at the park or a dog show or even in a pet store and you see another animal that isn’t quite right, steer clear. Stay away from any animal that looks a little lethargic or a little “off”. You never know, it might be ill and you won’t want your dog anywhere nearby.
Q:
Is it OK to give our dog and cat some turkey? Some of our friends say this is good for them (because it’s just like the chicken that’s used in their kibble). But I have heard that it can be unhealthy. What’s the scoop?
A:
Ahhhhh, Thanksgiving and turkey … this is one of my favorite times of the year. Lots of family and lots of food. What could be better?
But this is also the time that veterinarians remind everyone of the dangers of feeding parts of that Thanksgiving feast to animals. Lean turkey meat, the so-called “white meat” of the bird is safe to feed to most healthy dogs and cats. But any other part of the bird is not a good idea. Even the dark meat contains too much fat and isn’t safe for your pets’ diet.
Dogs and cats can become very ill if they ingest too much fat in their diet. And holiday meals are loaded with this. So every year, veterinarians treat thousands of pets for pancreatitis, a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas.
And the usual cause for their illness is simple … these dogs ate some of the family’s holiday dinner. All that good food is too rich for your dog or cat. The stuffing and the gravy, the potatoes and the butter. All of these taste so good, but they are very, very unhealthy for pets.
Pancreatitis is a difficult and very expensive problem to treat. Typically, dog and cats with this disease are hospitalized for several days and require intravenous fluids and aggressive, costly treatment. So don’t give those table scraps to your pets. Plan ahead. Stop at the pet store and get some healthy treats made just for dogs and cats. They’re a lot safer and your pet can feast on them instead of people food these upcoming holidays.
Q:
Our dog, Grayboy, has a lump in his mouth that the vet says is a benign tumor. He called it an epulis. What is this? Should we worry?
A:
Epulis is a benign hyperplasia of the gum tissue. We aren’t entirely sure why it occurs, but it appears to affect many different breeds. Unfortunately, surgical removal is the only effective treatment for this condition, but it’s usually simple and effective.
Most epulis lesions never reappear, but sometimes these growths can be a persistent recurring problem.
Many believe that hygiene plays at least a minor role in the development of this condition. Talk to your vet about what you can do to help prevent the recurrence of epulis after the lump is removed. Brushing Grayboy’s teeth might help to prevent this problem from coming back at him again.
