Parvovirus detected in at least 2 Cape Breton dogs

At least two dogs in Cape Breton have recently been diagnosed with parvovirus — a highly contagious illness that can be deadly if not caught early.

Parvovirus typically affects puppies and young dogs by attacking their gastrointestinal system. 

"It's pretty awful. It's a deadly disease," said Dr. Rebecca Korven, a veterinarian and owner of Celtic Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Sydney.

"If it's not treated, it can have a high mortality rate. Sometimes even with treatment, they don't survive. But if treatment is started early on, most dogs actually do survive and do quite well."

Dogs are typically vaccinated against the virus as puppies.

Korven said there haven't been any known cases of parvo in Cape Breton in a number of years. Recently, two cases showed up at her clinic.

"Which doesn't sound like very much, but looking back at the past four or five years, we've had none. We had stopped taking parvo tests because they kept expiring on us because we didn't have a need for them," said Korven.

She believes the COVID-19 pandemic is playing a role in the return of parvo cases. At the onset of the pandemic, veterinary services were not considered essential so clinics were closed. 

"We weren't able to vaccinate dogs regularly as normal, and that allowed the virus to really show up and spread in the community again," said Korven.

Parvo is spread through an infected dog's feces. It lives in the soil and dirt where it lands. According to Korven, the virus can survive for several months outside.

"Affected animals will vomit and could get diarrhea along with lethargy or sleepiness," she said. "And then as soon as it gets worse, we tend to see blood in the diarrhea and sometimes in the vomit as well." 

She said the best line of defence against parvo is a vaccination when a puppy is between the ages of six and eight weeks.