PARVO new strain ?

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

All of you should be out of the woods on this but did want to share it...

Gina

Forwarded Message Below:
Parvo is running wild in North Texas (Dallas in particular). This is a
particularly Hot strain of parvo that has not taken the lives of so many
puppies since the original eruption of the disease back in the early 80's.
This strain also seems to be testing negative to the in house test most vets
use and even A & M didn't detect it. Only on autopsy was the diagnosis
definitive. I was hit just before mothers day and with the exception of one
puppy ALL THAT GOT IT DIED! Two different vets each tried to save the pups
brought to them (we lost a total of 7) The bleeding in the lower intestine
was so bad that it could not even be called diarrhea anymore it was pure
blood and the pups were literally bleeding to death. We tried a manmade
hemoglobin (very expensive) and even used one of our big boys to transfuse
sick pups. Neither worked. Unlike the typical parvo this strain doesn't
run
it's course in 3 days pups linger 5 or 6 days appear to start getting better
and then up and die. My adults and a litter of pups that were born in
January were all totally unaffected but it hit my two litters that were born
on March 4 and 20th. They had already started their shots and some of the
pups never even got sick my vet doesn't know if it is the shots or maternal
antibodies that kept them healthy but 8 puppies got it and 7 died. We had
pups in the animal hospital before the major signs, if they just looked a
little "off" we brought them in. It didn't matter. Mine were the first
cases that were seen by the vets in my town. But within 2 weeks my vet told
me they were seeing 5-7 cases a week and like my puppies the mortality is
almost 100%. My vets supply rep told her that in his entire region (from
west of Dallas/Ft Worth to the TX/LA border north into OK and south about
halfway down to Houston) virtually every vet has several cases.
I know that Texas is gearing up for some of the biggest shows on it's yearly
circuit but be warned. If you have puppies it's not worth it. That major
falls flat if your dog or the litter you had such high hopes for is dead. I
am bypassing one of the few rare breed shows that comes to Texas because
(even though my vet assures me that once 30 days have gone by we are no
longer infectious) I don't want to risk either infecting someone else or
possibly be reinfected. We don't know where we picked it up. My vet thinks
since we own the dog grooming shop and have the vet right next door that we
probably brought it home that way. Even though we bleach our feet before
coming in and spray ourselves with Lysol before getting into the car. If
this is truly the case than this is one super contagious strain. A friend
of
mine in So. California told me last fall about a strain of Parvo her vet was
calling "Black Parvo" it appears that what we were hit with now might be the
same strain. If that is the case it has made it's way halfway across the
country in a few months and with the hot weather upon us and some very big
dog show circuits coming up the stage is set for disaster. We were hit once
before in 1991 and after that I was quite the fanatic about prevention and
quarantine but I have to admit the over the last 2 or 3 years we got a
little
less crazy. (I spent 6 weeks once summer with a refrigerator that iced up
every 3 days and had to be unplugged for almost 2 because I had pups and
wouldn't let a repairman in because it was parvo season.) I don't know if
being that diligent would have prevented this last outbreak but the fanatic
is back.
If you have or are expecting pups take every precaution you can. Let Bleach
become your best friend. Stay away from the shows even as a spectator. If
you make a trip to the vet ask if they have any cases and if you can delay
your visit. If you can't delay try to be the first appointment, Don't let
anyone in the waiting room touch your dog/pup (they may be covered with the
virus).
Please pass this on to anyone you know with pups. If this post can keep one
litter from being hit like we were it's worth it.