Horrible news

[OwnedByBCs]

To answer questions- yes, she did titers on her recently and it came back normal. Over 200 puppies have come back positive and a high percentage of them have died. These puppies have all been vaccinated. My vets have confirmed that this IS a new strain of parvo.

[thehoundgirl]

Wow how sad.. Good thoughts and prayers that Lily gets through this.

[sassafras]

Originally Posted by OwnedByBCs

My vets have confirmed that this IS a new strain of parvo.

Interesting. Do you happen to know what they're basing that on or have any more specific information about it? I've been cruising some veterinary sites and so far the infectious disease people haven't had any word about it being a new strain and don't seem to think it's especially dire as far as outbreaks go. Seems awfully fast to be able to have that information, anyway.

I'm not trying to be contradictory, but so often stuff like this turns out to be THE SKY IS FALLING type panic. Unfortunately, vets aren't immune to it.

ETA: What's the age range of the puppies, do you know?

[BostonBanker]

I'm so sorry to hear that, and hope the puppy recovers.

There has been a lot of concern about people bringing dogs that were at ASCA, or even that have been exposed to dogs that were there, coming to other agility trials. I know ASCA has come out and said "Keep your dogs at home", but it is scary.

[Renee750il]

Oh no . . . my heart goes out to all those people and their pups.

Parvo is evil sh1t.

[Aleron]

Originally Posted by OwnedByBCs

To answer questions- yes, she did titers on her recently and it came back normal. Over 200 puppies have come back positive and a high percentage of them have died. These puppies have all been vaccinated. My vets have confirmed that this IS a new strain of parvo.

200 Puppies who were at the ASCA national have come down with parvo? That is really surprising to me. What is the new strain called? Is it limited to one area so far? It seems every year there are warnings about a new strain but they are never substantiated. I tend to follow Parvo stories and news since having a litter with it 5 years ago. The Parvo strains are all very similar, so much that I have heard that feline distemper (which is actually Parvo) will test positive on a canine Parvo SNAP test. So far the last newest strains of Parvo seems to only have an environmental advantage over the older strain which I think it has replaced but the vaccines are still effective against it. Dogs who have had Parvo are considered immune to the virus, regardless of which strain they had. That was according to Dr. Dodds when I had my Parvo litter. She told me once a dog has had Parvo they never need to be re-vaccinated.

Parvo is horrible and it is scary...but it is also everywhere. You have to assume your dog has been exposed multiple times already and will continue to be exposed throughout their lifetime. I thought the ASCA thing was more of a "scary because we know" incident but I didn't hear that it affected so many puppies who were there. I really thought it was that one puppy there had it and later heard there were maybe a couple others who had been there who got it. If so many fully vaccinated puppies have gotten it, I would start to wonder if there is a faulty batch of vaccines because fully vaccinated puppies should be better protected.

I really do hope your pup's littermate makes a quick and full recovery. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing a puppy get so very, very sick so very, very fast. Is she being cared for at a clinic or at home? I cared for my Parvo litter at home and used Parvaid and I think it really helps, always have some on hand now with puppies.

[Grab]

The Parvo strains are all very similar, so much that I have heard that feline distemper (which is actually Parvo) will test positive on a canine Parvo SNAP test

It does. We had an entire litter of our stray kittens at work come down with it and that's how we diagnosed several of them. (some had gone to their new homes) A few months later we had a kitten from a different litter test positive that way as well.

I would want to know the vaccination protocols of the pups who tested positive..were they vaccinated at a vet or at home. If the latter, where were their vaccines acquired. Parvo is very heavy in our area as it is, but the last time we had a bout where people were swearing it was a new strain, many of the fully vaxed pups ended up having been vaccinated at home, their vaccines having been bought at a local feed store. I'm guessing perhaps they got warm or something. The 'new strain' petered out quickly,with no changing of vaccinations,etc.

[OwnedByBCs]

Originally Posted by Aleron

200 Puppies who were at the ASCA national have come down with parvo? That is really surprising to me. What is the new strain called? Is it limited to one area so far? It seems every year there are warnings about a new strain but they are never substantiated. I tend to follow Parvo stories and news since having a litter with it 5 years ago. The Parvo strains are all very similar, so much that I have heard that feline distemper (which is actually Parvo) will test positive on a canine Parvo SNAP test. So far the last newest strains of Parvo seems to only have an environmental advantage over the older strain which I think it has replaced but the vaccines are still effective against it. Dogs who have had Parvo are considered immune to the virus, regardless of which strain they had. That was according to Dr. Dodds when I had my Parvo litter. She told me once a dog has had Parvo they never need to be re-vaccinated.

Parvo is horrible and it is scary...but it is also everywhere. You have to assume your dog has been exposed multiple times already and will continue to be exposed throughout their lifetime. I thought the ASCA thing was more of a "scary because we know" incident but I didn't hear that it affected so many puppies who were there. I really thought it was that one puppy there had it and later heard there were maybe a couple others who had been there who got it. If so many fully vaccinated puppies have gotten it, I would start to wonder if there is a faulty batch of vaccines because fully vaccinated puppies should be better protected.

I really do hope your pup's littermate makes a quick and full recovery. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing a puppy get so very, very sick so very, very fast. Is she being cared for at a clinic or at home? I cared for my Parvo litter at home and used Parvaid and I think it really helps, always have some on hand now with puppies.

One of the vet techs at my work breeds Aussies and was at the ASCA nationals. She said that at first, it seemed like it was fairly mild, but it has spread and they are hearing of new cases every day, all over the country, but especially in the Bakersfield, CA area. It has spread to other breeds too- I believe an English Setter who was 2 or 3 years old got it, and of course Lily. Lily's vet said this is a particularly nasty strain of Parvo, and 95% of known cases have been in vaccinated dogs. I am not sure if it is an unknown strain or not, honestly- all the information I know has been posted already. There were over 2,000 dogs at the ASCA nationals, and a lot of the cases have been people who traveled home, gave it to other dogs, and so on. The 200 puppies came from my vet tech who was at the national, but I am not sure where she got that. My guess is, that number was released by ASCA. Part of the problem is that because it was a national, people traveled from all over the country, which has increased the spread of the disease. It was that vet tech who recommended that I leave my dogs at home- and I definitely agree with that- it is not worth it.

She is being cared for at a clinic, and unfortunately is doing even worse today than yesterday. Hopefully things start to improve soon.

The Border Collie people showed their true colors and are starting a hissy fit about people who decided to pull their entries. Lily's owner, who is new to showing and this breed, has been told that she should have kept the information to herself, and that because she came forward, she is directly responsible for people pulling their entries and may be kicked out of her local breed club. I don't think they can actually do that, but its still ridiculous and shows how vicious people can be. If anyone is willing to risk their dog's health for a major, they are no friend of mine.

[OwnedByBCs]

Originally Posted by Grab

It does. We had an entire litter of our stray kittens at work come down with it and that's how we diagnosed several of them. (some had gone to their new homes) A few months later we had a kitten from a different litter test positive that way as well.

I would want to know the vaccination protocols of the pups who tested positive..were they vaccinated at a vet or at home. If the latter, where were their vaccines acquired. Parvo is very heavy in our area as it is, but the last time we had a bout where people were swearing it was a new strain, many of the fully vaxed pups ended up having been vaccinated at home, their vaccines having been bought at a local feed store. I'm guessing perhaps they got warm or something. The 'new strain' petered out quickly,with no changing of vaccinations,etc.

Lily at least was vaccinated at a vet, to the vet's specifications. She had a titer check less than a month before contracting the disease.

[Flyinsbt]

As of a few years ago, there was a newer strain of parvo, CPV-2c, which vaccines might not be totally effective against:
http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2008/...rus-strain.htm

Vaccines do provide some protection, but possibly not as well as against the older strains? I'm wondering if the current outbreak is that strain, or a newer one still. Or an older strain, I suppose, though it seems more likely to be CPV-2c, or something newer. I hope it is CPV-2c, because that one doesn't seem likely to become epidemic.