01/29/2026
If you’ve been watching the news, you’ve probably heard of the outbreak of parvovirus in Vancouver; as of Jan 26th, there have been four confirmed cases of dogs who have died of this highly contagious virus. If your dog is not up to date on their vaccines, then it’s important to get that updated ASAP, as the vaccine is very effective at preventing severe disease caused by this virus.
Now, you might be thinking, “Only 4 cases? That’s hardly an outbreak, I don’t know why this is newsworthy or of concern to the veterinary community”. Here’s why any confirmed parvo cases put vet clinics on red alert:
What is Parvovirus, and Why Are We Concerned?
Parvovirus is a highly contagious and often fatal disease that affects the body’s rapidly dividing cells, namely the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow. In very young puppies, it can also infect the heart causing inflammation, arrhythmias, and poor heart function. It is most commonly seen in unvaccinated puppies, but can be seen in unvaccinated adults as well (though it is rarer). It starts with lethargy, inappetence, and fever, and will progress to abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea (often with blood). It also results in a low white blood cell count, which means that their ability to fight off any disease is significantly compromised.
By the time they get to us, puppies with parvovirus may have collapsed, have high heart rates and difficulty breathing, and have a low body temperature and blood sugar. In attacking the GI tract, it prevents the absorption of nutrients, increases fluid loss in the stool, and can allow bacteria to move from the gut into the bloodstream. It is both difficult and expensive to get them back to a healthy state, as there is nothing we can do to eliminate the virus; instead we have to treat supportively until the patient’s immune system can get the upper hand, and the GI tract can start to heal. Sometimes this takes a long time, and can involve days of hospitalization, intensive care, IV fluids, feeding tubes, and sometimes even blood and/or plasma transfusions.
Not to repeat myself ad nauseum, but it is a HIGHLY contagious, often fatal, disease that spreads quickly and efficiently. It is often, to put it lightly, heartbreaking for both owners and veterinary staff.
How Does Parvovirus Spread?
While parvovirus is spread primarily through f***s, that doesn’t mean there has to be f***s present to be sure of an exposure. Parvovirus is a surprisingly hardy virus; most viruses can’t live long outside of the host, but parvo can be present in the environment for anywhere between 2-9 months (some studies even say it could be as long as several years); this means that long after the actual f***s is gone, the virus can remain. Dogs and puppies can be exposed from sniffing the ground, being in a contaminated kennel, being touched by people or objects that have come in contact with the virus, and even from their own fur or paws if they’ve simply walked across a contaminated surface.
Can Humans Get Parvo?
Parvovirus is species specific, so while humans can get their own version, they can’t get it from dogs (nor can dogs get it from people).
What Can I Do To Prevent My Puppy/Dog From Getting Parvovirus?
Vaccinate. The parvovirus vaccine is included in the core vaccine for puppies (the vaccines commonly called the “Distemper Combo” has parvovirus included in it), so every puppy should be vaccinated at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, boostered at 1 year old, and then boostered every 3 years after that. If your puppy is too young to be vaccinated, has an incomplete set of vaccines, or is immune compromised and can’t receive vaccines, then you need to be vigilant about where you take your puppy and who you interact with. If you are socializing your puppy with dogs who have a known vaccine history, then the risk is significantly lower. If you are socializing your puppy with unknown dogs and frequenting public spaces like dog parks, then your puppy is at a higher risk.
