CBS BostonLOWELL (CBS) — A highly contagious viral disease has killed at least 15 dogs in Lowell.
Lowell Animal Control Officer Darlene Wood told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 there have been 15 confirmed cases of the canine parvovirus in the past two weeks.
In each case the dog has died.
“We’re asking dog owners to check and see if their dogs have updated vaccinations or have been vaccinated for the parvovirus, and if they have not, to certainly go to a veterinarian and get that done,” Wood said Tuesday.
She told WBZ there have also been cases of the virus in the Berkshires, Worcester County and on the North Shore.
“It’s transmitted through the feces and the vomit of a dog that already has the disease. Your dog would see such things as his eating might be off. He’d be lethargic, vomiting a lot, bloody diarrhea. It has a very distinct smell,” Wood said.
“Because it’s so highly contagious, the viral disease can actually live on inanimate objects for months.”
Wood said if you suspect your dog may have the virus, don’t take him or her to a public area, and get them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/08/19/high-contagious-parvovirus-kills-15-dogs-in-lowell/
NC thanks for posting this. I have had dogs all my life and bred , raised and trained them. Please for all that are interested see this information. http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/scienceVaccineDamage.html Very seldom do I ever give vaccines to my dogs and they are very healthy. If you don’t bring parvo into your puppies then they don’t get it. Clean, clean, clean goes a long way to prevent infections. What this paper doesn’t tell you is that the modified live vaccines will give certain pups parvo that have weak immune systems and breed susceptibility, or sometimes there is a bad batch of vaccines. One vaccine after a pups immune system matures at six months of age, they usually are considered vaccinated the rest of their life. Any puppy or adult dog recently vaccinated will shed that parvo virus for a period of time and others can pick it up and become infected. Doggy parks are not a good place for dogs. We were told that parvo came up from MX via coyotes. Well, we still have plenty of coyotes and they are not extinct because of parvo. They also told us that the virus lived in the soil up to 7 years and now they tell us 7 to 10 months. lol So which is it! Veterinarians make 50 to 60% of their income just in vaccinations alone. Do you really think they will tell you the truth? If no vaccines were given then the disease would run its course and would be out of here in no time. They will not let that happen as long as one dog is recently vaccinated. You can research and fine out that human beings are now contracting the parvo virus. Hmmm, we know that viruses mutate. We are told that it is not the same strain that the dogs have. Do I believe them, nope.
No problem. I just bought another puppy last month and so I’m going through the whole vaccination process with him now. He’s only 10 weeks old. After a year, I no longer do the vaccines for my dogs unless it’s time for the rabies vaccine. Otherwise, it just becomes a money-making thing like you said.
My australian shepherd got parvo…I pretty much gave her up for dead..not even two years old…What a mess, I fed her milk with a syringe, and was there for her… Then, I turn my head for a minute, and she was so lathargic she just started walking and got lost in the woods..I looked for her all night, and it was friggin 28 degrees out..That is when I totally gave her up for dead. But I found her the next day, I couldnt believe it. How did she survive that cold weather? More less having parvo? Anyway, I put collodial silver in the milk and she is ok now. I had to tear out all my carpet and put in new because, well she made a mess.
She is ok now…Her name is Arrow 🙂
Thanks for the post NC. I saw this on the local news this morning. This is right around the area where I am from.
3 years ago 5 of our 8 week old pups contracted this virus from one pup in the litter that went home with a family and brought back the next day. Of the 5 that got the virus, 4 survived. The one that died was put down, because the vet did not want to help him. He was more concerned about it spreading in his facility. Parvovirus can be cured if it’s caught in time, but it is costly.