Ask Dr. Trupp: Can Parvo kill my dog?
10:24 a.m. Thursday, July 17, 2008
A deadly, rapidly spreading disease has struck at least a half dozen dogs in the Fort Riley community. The post's dog park has been temporarily closed.
"It causes dehydration, it causes them to vomit, it causes them to have severe diarrhea," West Ridge Animal Hospital Dr. Rob Trupp said.
Ask Dr. Trupp
Dr. Rob Trupp answers your pet questions on Good Morning Kansas.
Watch the video interview with Dr. Rob Trupp, a veterinarian at West Ridge Animal Hospital in Topeka, who answers your pet questions on Good Morning Kansas each month. The answers are online. See what Dr. Trupp had to say about topics ranging from pets and young children to medicines for pets. Have a question for Dr. Trupp. Submit it here.
The Parvo virus infests healthy cells, and without attention, this virus can kill a dog.
The bad new: "It has to run its course. There isn't anything we have that we can stop this virus from working once it gets in," Trupp said.
So, prevention is key. A Parvo vaccination exists. Puppies should get it at six, eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age, he said.
"If you are using that, you should feel fairly safe with that vaccine," he said.
Trupp urges keeping pets away from infected dogs and dog parks. However, that can be difficult.
"You can't see the virus," he said. "You don't know if it's there until someone's pet gets sick."
If sick dogs have soiled grass, Trupp recommends clipping the grass, washing the grass off or otherwise sterilizing it.
Read recent 49 News coverage of the Parvo outbreak at Fort Riley here.
Read frequently asked Parvo questions here.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)