Keelo was euthanized on Friday. She had less than a 30 per cent chance of survival. (submitted photo/Donna Langhorne)

By Derek Cornet

vaccinations

Dog owner warns others after pet euthanized due to parvovirus infection

Sep 13, 2022 | 4:04 PM

Donna Langhorne says she will never feel the same again after the sudden death of her 18-month-old Alaskan malamute named Keelo last week.

Langhorne noticed Keelo was sick on Thursday, Sept. 8 after the dog started showing signs of illness. Keelo’s ears were fully down, she was nodding out, vomited, sleeping lots, not eating, laying down and not getting up, moving slowly and going into a bowing position much of the time.

“On day two, she was hot to the touch and very lethargic and weak,” Langhorne said. “She started getting sick Thursday mid-morning and got worse the next day by noon.”

Worried about her pet, Keelo was rushed to the University of Saskatchewan’s animal intensive care unit where it was discovered she was suffering from canine parvovirus, a highly contagious viral disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness in puppies. The disease most often strikes in pups between six and 20 weeks old, but older animals are sometimes also affected.

Langhorne, who purchased Keelo from a breeder, said she was informed Keelo already had all of the necessary shots. The vet who cared for Keelo told Langhorne there was no way the dog had been vaccinated for parvovirus.

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With less than a 30 per cent chance of survival, the decision was made to euthanize Keelo and she was put down at 9 p.m. on Friday.

“Please if you buy a puppy from a breeder, examine those papers and make sure they’re legitimate,” Langhorne warned. “We made a mistake and trusted them. We paid $1,500 for Keelo and sometimes breeders do this only for the money and will scam you and give you false papers.”

Langhorne wants residents to ensure their dogs have been fully vaccinated. (submitted photo/Donna Langhorne)

Langhorne explained Keelo was like a service dog for her. She said the family will miss Keelo’s funny howls and how she made everyone laugh all the time.

On Monday, Northern Animal Rescue released a statement advising residents about a rise of parvovirus in the tri-communities. In the past few weeks, the organization has been contacted by an “alarming” number of individuals with sick dogs or puppies.

“These dogs and puppies have been spread out throughout all of the tri-community,” the statement notes. “The parvovirus is very serious and can be deadly to your dog or puppy if not caught early enough.”

Parvovirus is preventable with the proper vaccines. It is often spread dog-to-dog by direct or indirect contact with their feces.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno

by Derek Cornet

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Dog owner warns others after pet euthanized due to parvovirus infection

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