ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 17, 2000

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish animal shelter is closed to thepublic for now due to an outbreak of the parvo virus.

Melissa Vial, kennel master of the shelter, informed the Parish Council Tuesday night of the closure.

“The shelter is under quarantine,” Vial told the council. “Right now we areonly taking in stray dogs.”Vial said that so far two dogs have died from the deadly disease. Theshelter has also put 20 other dogs to sleep because they may have been carrying the virus and could spread it to other animals in the shelter.Theparvo virus is highly contagious and only affects dogs.

Dr. Wayne Rogers, a veterinarian with the Belle Terre Animal Hospital, saidthe parvo virus is very difficult to deal with, especially in kennel or shelter environments.

“The virus is very sturdy and can last up to two years in the environment,” said Rogers. “Plus, it lives in a dog for a long time, and it spreads likewildfire.”According to Rogers, the parvo virus attacks the digestive tract and eats away at the lining of the stomach and the intestines causing infection and heavy internal bleeding.

Vial said dogs with parvo virus first get depressed and stop eating. Thenthey start having diarrhea streaked with blood.

“Once they get it,” said Vial, “they only last two or three days.”Rogers agreed. “Once the virus is in the body there is nothing much that canbe done except support the immune system. Each case is different, butusually the prognosis is not good.”Vial noticed the first case of parvo virus on June 6 and the most recent case on June 10. Since then Vial and a worker loaned from the recreationdepartment have scrubbed down the animal shelter with bleach, the recommended procedure in an outbreak of parvo.

“We’ve been lucky so far. We haven’t had any cases since Saturday,” saidVial. But she cautioned, “The virus takes five to seven days to incubate, sowe will have to wait and see.”Rogers said that in a kennel situation the virus spreads through the dogs’ feces and gets on people’s shoes and hands. Because of the virus’survivability it may take awhile for a kennel to get rid of the virus.

“You may not see symptoms for three weeks, but by the time you see the first symptom a lot of dogs will have contracted the virus,” said Rogers. “Itis a very difficult virus to deal with.”Rogers said the only prevention is vaccination, especially with young dogs who are highly susceptible to parvo.

“A dog owner should get his pet vaccinated at 6, 9, 12, and 16 weeks,” said Rogers, ” and then a yearly booster shot.”Vial said Director of Public Works and Utilities Henry DiFranco has ordered parvo vaccine, which should arrive at the shelter by Monday.

“We are going to vaccinate every dog that comes through the door,” said Vial. “The parish doesn’t want this to ever happen again.”Vial also said other vaccines have been ordered to give cats at the shelter.

Vial said keeping a dog healthy is cheaper than euthanasia.

“The vaccine costs about $2 a dog, while euthanasia costs between $6 and $10 depending on which veterinarian you go to,” Vial said.

Despite the seriousness of the disease, Rogers said he doesn’t see too many parvo cases at his hospital.

“It runs in cycles,” said Rogers, “mostly in the spring and fall when dogs are moving about is when there are outbreaks. But because of vaccinations it isa rare thing to see.”Rogers said he might see four or five cases in a month and then not see any parvo for months at a time.

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