Canine parvovirus is alive and living insidiously well in Prince George.
The potentially fatal disease most commonly affects puppies aged six to 20 weeks but can also affect adult dogs who have not been immunized.
Most commonly spread from the feces of one dog to the mouth of another, the parvovirus can live on the ground for as long as seven years.
Parvo causes acute gastrointestinal illness and can lead to a full-body infection that kills.
Ally Rennhack, a veterinary technician at Birchwood Veterinary Clinic on Victoria Street says parvo is becoming a problem in Prince George and some of the cases she’s seen have been quite advanced.
“I know personally of at least nine cases in the last three months,” said Rennhack. “Nine cases in three months is massive because in the last three years (before that) I’ve maybe seen two.”
“Parvo generally attacks the lining of the intestine, so you’ll see symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, it’s typically bloody and there will be a foul odour. They’re usually lethargic and the biggest concerns are dehydration and secondary infections and that’s usually why the disease is fatal. Every clinic is dealing with this battle.”
Rennhack said dogs can pick up the virus on their feet while walking in the park and when they come home and lick their paws that can be enough to become infected.
“The longer they’re ill, the higher the chances of secondary infections like sepsis, a full-body infection, and we’ve seen a couple cases that have been that far along, so they’re very sick at that point.”.
To combat the problem and help new pet owners unattached to veterinarian clinics due to the chronic shortage of animal doctors in the city, at least seven clinics are taking turns each month to share the workload to immunize puppies in popup vaccine clinics.
For three hours Tuesday morning, Birchwood had a revolving door of about 70 clients bringing in their dogs to receive their four-way vaccination - a combination of medicine to prevent parvo, distemper, adenovirus (to prevent such diseases as hepatitis) and parainfluenza.
The vaccine is 95 per cent effective at preventing parvo as long as the proper booster schedule is followed. Another booster is recommended after three years to guarantee continued immunity to parvo.
Popup vaccine clinics have been happening monthly since July on a rotational basis, so each participating clinic can line up additional staff and volunteers to deal with the crush of clients arriving at one time. That also aligns with the vaccination schedule which requires booster shots every four weeks.
“I think it’s great that all the clinics are uniting, again, to prevent it,” said Mel Bauman, the Birchwood clinic practice manager. ‘It shows how serious it is. Every vet clinic is experiencing their own influx (of parvo cases) and enough of us realize it’s enough of an issue that we’re working together to get these vaccine clinics.”
Veterinarians are in short supply worldwide and the current situation in Prince George has grown even more dire over the past year after a number of vets left to set up their practices in other cities.
UNBC university vice-president academic and provost Dr. Wendy Rodgers told the Citizen last month that adding a school of veterinary medicine is a high priority for the university. UNBC is seeking a partner university that could provide the clinical hands-on instructional component for students who would receive their first two years of classroom instruction in Prince George.
While there has been no formal announcement, Bauman says she’s heard the B.C. government is reducing the regulatory hurdles that have prevented veterinary professionals from being allowed to practice in British Columbia.
The next vaccine clinic is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m.- noon at Murdoch Veterinary Clinic at 2933 Gunn Rd.
t serve, and with the weather, it will be interesting how many show up,” said Bauman.
