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.

How to Prevent Your Dog from Biting Out of Fear – Part 2

Posted by Jeanne on October 26, 2009

What makes some dogs into fear-biters?

All dogs undergo what’s called a fear-imprint stage when they’re about eight weeks old, and another one at about fourteen weeks. During this period of a dog’s formative puppyhood, he’s significantly more prone to ‘spookiness’: being excessively startled by new experiences and situations. If a dog has a scare during this time which isn’t properly dealt with by the owner (ie, after receiving a scare, he isn’t then taught not to be frightened of that thing), he may develop a life-long phobia towards that object.

For example, if he’s been frightened by a repairman arriving at the door unexpectedly, and isn’t then acclimatized to that person, he may develop a long-standing phobia of men who resemble that repairman (men with beards, men in overalls, men holding toolboxes, and so on).

Some dogs are also just highly-strung and more prone to anxiety because of their breeding. Certain breeds – typically, the more intelligent ones, and the ones emotionally dependent on close, regular interaction with humans – have proven themselves more likely to develop phobias and excessive shyness than other, more emotionally stable breeds. A few of these ‘anxious’ breeds include Weimaraners, Great Danes, and Border Collies.

A history of trauma or abuse is another major cause of fear-biting: many abandoned or abused dogs develop anxiety problems, which, without proper treatment, may progress into fear-biting.

The difference between shyness and fear-biting

It’s quite natural for some dogs to exhibit signs of shyness towards unfamiliar situations. It doesn’t mean that that dog is a ‘difficult dog’, or that he will grow up to be a fear-biter – some shyness is to be expected in almost all dogs at one point or another.

Shyness only becomes a problem when it begins to interfere with the course of daily life: when a dog can no longer be trusted around strangers, for example, or if his behavior is endangering his own safety (scared dogs often bolt, sometimes across busy roads), or when your own life becomes significantly restricted by your dog’s fear.

More information on this topic next week…