Dog parvo deaths could have been prevented: Shelter manager
Staff at the Battlefords Humane Society is urging dog owners to make sure their pets vaccines are up to date as the facility put down three dogs infected with parvovirus in the last month.
According to Michelle Spark, manager of the animal shelter, the virus is very contagious and is easily transferred through direct or indirect contact with other dogs. She said the problem with parvo is it cannot be treated with antibiotics. The virus attacks the dog’s digestive system and intestinal tract.
The three dogs the shelter was forced to euthanize are the only three cases seen recently, but the virus has a high mortality rate, especially in dogs two years old and under, Spark said.
“It is imperative people vaccinate their animals,” Spark said. “People don’t realize that parvovirus is completely preventable through vaccination.”