IQALUIT
Springtime is parvovirus season in Iqaluit and around the territory. The common, potentially deadly and entirely preventable doggy disease spikes every year around this time, says Janelle Kennedy, president of the Iqaluit Humane Society.
Iqaluit canine Hunter has all his vaccinations so he can now run carefree and immune to parvovirus. - Peter Worden/NNSL photo
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Thawing dog feces that has been long-frozen coupled with loose dogs and increased dog-to-dog interaction is a recipe for the very serious virus. Dr. Leia Cunningham, the veterinarian at Iqaluit's NunaVet service, confirmed since January of this year she has clinically diagnosed 15 to 20 cases, not including any cases diagnosed by the Iqaluit Humane Society or sick animals given up to local bylaw to be "destroyed.”
"If people aren't picking up their dog's feces then it's just sitting there on the ground and parvovirus can survive 18 months just lying on the ground," said Kennedy, explaining that if another dog eats the feces it can become infected.
Cases of the virus were reported around Iqaluit last week as owners reminded each other to take care and have their dogs vaccination. The Iqaluit Humane Society started an awareness campaign with a 2,500 bilingual double-sided flier drop to every mailbox in the city and offers the vaccination for $30.
"There are lot of dogs that are not vaccinated," said Kennedy, explaining the symptoms of the sickness, which include a loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, fever, vomiting, dehydration and a nasty end-point that can lead to death. The virus is treatable by quarantine, hospitalization a fluid diet and thorough bleaching of everything the dog touched.
Kennedy stressed that the first-line of defence is vaccination.
"If your dog's been vaccinated then you don't have to worry," she said. "There are a lot of dogs in town that are not vaccinated in general and certainly not against parvo. If you vaccinate your dog from the time it's a puppy, the vaccinations include the parvo vaccination."
All the strains of canine parvovirus are communicable among dogs, wolves, and foxes, but no strains are currently known to infect humans.
