Canine parvovirus cases rising in the Sudbury area

Parvovirus cases rising in dogs in Sudbury area An animal shelter in Sudbury is urging dog owners to protect their pets against parvovirus known as parvo, which can be deadly.

An animal shelter in Sudbury is urging dog owners to take precautions to protect their pets against parvovirus (known as parvo), which can be deadly.

The Pet Save shelter said it recently treated two puppies back to health from parvo and it’s hearing reports from dog owners in the area that the highly spreadable virus is circulating.

Pet Save director Jill Pessot said the best defence is vaccination.

“Parvo is something that stays in the ground for up to a year,” Pessot said.

“So the problem is people can track it on their shoes, so through pet stores, through, you know, public areas. So it’s something you can’t see and unfortunately every year we see an increase in the cases as less and less people seem to be vaccinating.”

Pet Save said the cost to vaccinate against parvo is about $200 annually. Treating the virus can cost between $3,000 and $5,000.