Cases of the parvovirus have been confirmed in Montreal, with at least one dog dying from the virus.
Parvovirus attacks the stomach and intestines of animals and is spread by animal-to-animal contact, and contact with contaminated feces and environments.
The situation has Montreal pet owners concerned for the health of their animals.
Dr. Valérie Bissonnette, president of the Quebec Association of Veterinarians of Companion Animals, joined CityNews to discus the virus.
So this is a virus that has always been present, but is the current situation concerning for your association?
Well, definitely concerning since the infection is very severe for our patients. But it’s hard to say if there’s a real outbreak right now, especially in Montreal, since there were a few cases that have been noted. But it’s hard to say since we don’t keep the statistics. So we don’t know when there’s a real outbreak here in Quebec. It’s hard to say.
What are some of the symptoms that dog owners should be looking out for?
Parvovirus causes a very severe gastroenteritis. It also affects the immune system of the animal. So the animal will be lethargic, will have fever, most probably have a diarrhea and a recurrent vomiting. So it’s a pretty severe condition. If you see the animal starting to be lethargic and having gastrointestinal symptoms, I suggest that you go see your veterinarian right away.
How can they prevent their animal from contracting this virus?
The only true way is really through vaccination. So keep your animal updated. If it’s not vaccinated properly, please ensure that he stays within your protected environment. So make sure he doesn’t have contact with unvaccinated, or animals that you don’t know. So make sure that he has restricted contacts and make sure your animal gets the vaccination as soon as possible.
So this is highly contagious between dogs?
Highly contagious between dogs, cats, ferrets. So it’s through direct contact, but also in contaminated environment. And especially with the humidity right now, the virus will stay in the environment. We know that it can live throughout months in the environment, even years sometimes. So it’s very resistant in the environment.
Should people be avoiding dog parks, or we’re not there yet?
Well, if your animal is well vaccinated and an adult, a healthy adult, I think it’s still very much alright to go in the dog park. But if your animal has health issues, is not updated in his vaccination, then it’s a strong no, don’t go to dog parks right now. And don’t go to dog parks anytime really because he can definitely contract other diseases too. There’s a lot of infectious disease that can be transmitted through animals.
