Pet owners in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside are being alerted to an outbreak of a potentially deadly dog virus. According to the BC SPCA, three puppies died from parvovirus. The puppies were cared for at a building near Dunlevy Avenue and Powell Street, and the fourth puppy is receiving intensive veterinary care. Mark Vosper, the BC SPCA’s regional director of animal protection for the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, warns that parvovirus is a highly contagious and often fatal virus that primarily affects dogs. “One of our animal welfare officers was called on Friday about four sick and dying puppies and it was confirmed that the puppies had parvovirus,” he says. Pet owners should watch for signs of parvovirus, including lethargy, loss of appetite, abdominal pain and bloating, fever or low body temperature, vomiting and severe, often bloody diarrhea. Since the outbreak, the BC SPCA has taken immediate action and offered a free vaccination clinic to those in the building. “Dr. Hannah Weitzenfeld set up a free vaccination clinic in the building to ensure that other dogs and puppies that may have come into contact with the sick puppies get a parvo vaccine as quickly as possible,” says Vosper. A total of 18 dogs, which were all dogs in the building where the parvo outbreak occurred, were vaccinated on Monday. “We urge anyone in the area whose dog or puppy exhibits these symptoms to seek veterinary help immediately,” says Vosper. Persistent vomiting and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration and damage to the intestines and immune system, causing animals to go into septic shock.
