Is There a Cure for Dog Parvo?

Posted by Jeanne on November 11, 2009

Parvovirus (commonly called Parvo) is a viral disease that affects dogs.  It is far more common in puppies than adult dogs and can have serious ramifications for the infected animal, including death.  Parvo grows best in the rapidly dividing cells of the dog’s intestines.  As the virus attacks and kills these cells it causes massive diarrhea and halts or slows the creation of white blood cells.  In young puppies it can often directly infect the heart, leading to death.

The symptoms of Parvo start with fever, depression, and lethargy.  The dog will usually experience a loss of appetite as well and then eventually show more sever signs like vomiting and diarrhea which is often bloody.  Once the virus reaches this stage dehydration and death usually follow.

Parvo is carried and transmitted by dogs.  The vomit and feces of an infected animal will also carry the virus which is rather resilient and can survive outside the dog’s body in the surrounding environment for as long as nine months.  Sometimes an adult dog can be infected by the virus and show no symptoms but act as a carrier transmitting the virus to the other animals it comes into contact with.

There is no cure for Parvo.  Dogs that are infected will die of dehydration without treatment.  That treatment primarily consists of providing fluids, giving repeated blood transfusions, and preventing dehydration.  The mortality rate in dogs affected by Parvo is about 20% if the dog receives treatment in time.  Without treatment, about 80% of those infected will die from it.  It is a very serious disease.

Parvo tends to affect some dog breeds more than others.  Dobermans, Rottweilers, and other black and tan dogs have a greater chance of contracting the virus.  The reason for this is unknown but the fact that these dogs are at higher risk does not mean that owners of other types of dogs can rest easily.  Dogs of any breed can become infected.

While there is no cure for Parvo, puppies can (and should) be vaccinated against it at an early age.  Most vets recommend puppies be immunized starting at six weeks of age with vaccinations continuing until twenty weeks of age.  Proper immunization is the best way to prevent a dog from contracting Parvo.

Big Dogs – Are Working Dogs Good with Children?

Posted by Jeanne on May 27, 2009

The first time you see a real big dog like the Great Dane or the St. Bernard you might wonder if it’s really a dog. lt’s so big that you might mistake it for a little pony. If you saw the dog in some European countries, you would surely think it was a pony. Big dogs are still used by farmers to pull carts of milk and produce.

Most big dogs are working dogs, and they do many things. Some, like those mentioned above, pull carts, others like the Collies, the Kuvasok, and the English Sheepdogs are experts at tending sheep. Mastiffs, Boxers, and Dobermans are often used as guard dogs. The German Shepherds are well known as guide dogs for the blind. But not all “seeing eye” dogs are Shepherds. They are usually big dogs, but they can be any breed – even a mongrel – just so long as they have a will to learn.

Among the most famous big dogs are the sled dogs of Alaska and other snowy regions. The Samoyed, Siberian Husky, and Malemute and the Eskimo dog all are good sled dogs. Just as all guide dogs are not pure bred, the same is true with sled dogs – sometimes they are mixed with timber wolf. Mushers in Alaska say that these wolf-mixed dogs have more stamina than pure breeds, but they don’t care to work like a dog.

Another working dog that is at home in the snow is the St. Bernard. Many an injured mountain climber or skier owes his life to this breed. Immediately after a bad snowstorm, these dogs would be sent out of the hospice in groups of three in search of people in distress. When someone was found unconscious in the snow, two of the dogs would lie down on either side of the victim to keep him warm while the third St. Bernard would go back to the abbey for help. When help arrived, the three dogs would go off to find more people in need of help.

Working dogs are the best dogs for children. They would like nothing better than to be with a child all day and guard him or her. They do not wander as do hunting dogs, and their size will scare away anyone who might want to harm the child.