everett Animal Shelter is seeing a spike in parvovirus cases among dogs across Snohomish County, and animal services manager Glynis Frederiksen is urging owners to keep vaccinations current. She said the shelter typically sees only a handful of cases, but reports have recently spiked.
Frederiksen said more animals are arriving sick. “Usually, we’ll see a couple of cases, but just hearing about all of these reports and seeing the animals that are coming in sick, gives us concern that people aren’t getting their animals vaccinated, which is really important,” she said.
Glynis Frederiksen
Frederiksen said parvo is the most serious virus dogs and puppies can get, and she described vaccination as far cheaper than treatment. She said parvo treatment can range from $3,000 to $10,000, while the virus is easily preventable with proper vaccination.
The shelter said the disease spreads quickly and efficiently. Dogs and puppies can contract parvo through contaminated feces, and the virus can remain on surfaces such as the ground, kennels, people’s hands, objects and clothing. Dogs can also carry it on their fur or paws after touching something contaminated.
Vaccines and parvo risk
The shelter said parvo mainly affects rapidly dividing cells in the body, with the intestinal tract and bone marrow most vulnerable. In very young puppies, heart muscles can also be damaged. Symptoms include lethargy, lack of appetite and fever, and the illness can worsen into abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Puppies may also collapse, breathe with difficulty, have a high heart rate, low white blood cells, be hypothermic or be hypoglycemic.
Frederiksen said the Everett Animal Shelter has been doing vaccine clinics to help low-income families who cannot afford vaccinations, and updates on those clinics are posted on the shelter’s Facebook. For dog owners in Snohomish County, the immediate step is to make sure pets are current on vaccinations before a preventable illness turns into a costly emergency.
