There’s been a sharp increase in canine parvo cases in Maricopa County and on tribal lands. According to the Arizona Humane Society, cases have quadrupled compared to this time last year.
Canine parvo is a highly contagious virus and it can be treated, but the sudden rise is concerning.
Dr. Steven Hansen is president and CEO of the Arizona Humane Society. He’s also a veterinarian. Hansen says vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is likely to blame.
“And it is that conversation of if I'm not going to vaccinate myself, why would I vaccinate my dog,” Hansen said. “And for us, that's a very frightening conversation because both canine distemper and canine parvovirus are common in the environment, in the animal population.”
Hansen suspects that the rise in parvo cases is likely nationwide. He says parvo mostly affects puppies and can lead to vomiting and diarrhea, and urges dog owners to get their dogs vaccinated against parvo and canine distemper.
“And if we don't vaccinate or we reduce vaccination, we will greatly increase the amount of dogs that encounter both of those diseases,” he said. “And we also treat canine distemper. That is even a worse disease than canine parvovirus because it affects the nervous system.”
Hansen says canine parvo vaccines can often be obtained for free or at a reduced cost.
“We've got two community hospitals. We've got a mobile hospital,” he says. “Vaccines can be obtained sometimes for free during vaccine events, or at worst, they're $27 for an injection, which — compared to an average cost to treat a parvo case is probably about $5,000 in a typical veterinary hospital — is very inexpensive prevention.”
To learn more about the veterinary services offered by the Arizona Humane Society, visit their website at azhumane.org/all-veterinary-services/.
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