PARVO, a highly infectious, highly contagious disease in dogs is being diagnosed in concerning numbers in the Antelope Valley. This virus does not make people sick but can be fatal for dogs.

In the first four months of this year, 70 of the 162 PARVO cases reported to the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health were in Lancaster and Palmdale alone. Half of the cases were detected in April, suggesting increasing risk.

The County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control wants to remind pet owners throughout Los Angeles County that they can and should vaccinate their dogs to prevent them from contracting this severe and often deadly virus. Vaccination is the cornerstone of prevention.

The most common signs of Canine parvo virus infection, commonly referred to as PARVO, include fever, anorexia, lethargy, dehydration, vomiting and/or diarrhea, which may or may not be bloody. Without appropriate treatment, this disease can be fatal.

If you see any of the signs mentioned above please bring your dog to your veterinarian immediately for diagnosis and treatment. Some dogs survive the disease if given appropriate and prompt treatment.

Keep puppies and unvaccinated adult dogs away from public areas and away from other unvaccinated dogs until they have finished their full series of vaccinations.

If you think your dog may have PARVO, keep it away from other dogs. Do not share your dog’s bedding and toys with other dogs. Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on cleaning and disinfection to help stop the spread of PARVO.

What is Parvo?
Canine parvo virus infection, commonly referred to as PARVO, is caused by a virus capable of surviving in the environment for months or even years. Puppies are most likely to suffer severe disease and death but any unvaccinated dog, of any age, can become infected with PARVO.

PARVO is shed in all body fluids of infected dogs, and is extremely easy to spread via people (hands, feet), equipment or surfaces. The incubation period (time to development of clinical signs) is usually 4-14 days.

Vaccination
Vaccination is the cornerstone of Canine parvo virus prevention. One vaccination is not enough! All dogs and puppies 6-8 weeks of age and older should be vaccinated. Vaccination of puppies should start at 4-6 weeks of age in high risk communities, such as the Antelope Valley. Puppies need to be revaccinated every 3-4 weeks until they are
18-20 weeks of age, and then again a year later.

Unvaccinated adult dogs should receive the vaccine twice, 3-4 weeks apart, and then a year later. All dogs then need to be given booster shots every 1-3 years for life. All veterinary practices offer this vaccine. A cost-effective and humane strategy for long-term control is to ensure that community members have ready access to affordable vaccines for their pets.

Lancaster Animal Care Center Weekend Vaccination Clinic

The Los Angeles County Lancaster Animal Care Center located at 5210 W. Ave I in Lancaster holds bi-monthly Low Cost Vaccine Clinics from 9am – 4pm on Sundays. DHLPP vaccine which includes the Parvo vaccine is priced at $14. Rabies vaccination, deworming, microchip administration and licensing can also be done during these clinics.

The current schedule is as follows:

May 11 and May 25 June 8 and June 22 July 6 and 20

For future dates, please refer to our website: www.animalcare.lacounty.gov

Vaccination for PARVO is also a service offered by our community veterinarians on a regular basis. For a list of your local veterinarians, please visit the Southern California Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA) website: www.scvma.org