Santa Rosa County is warning its residents and visitors that if you take your dog to area dog parks, take precautions to prevent your pup from contracting Parvo Virus.
On Tuesday, the county Public Information Office sent out a press release stating that there was a “possible” Parvo Virus outbreak at an area dog park, although the report could not be positively confirmed. Posts on Facebook indicated that the possible outbreak was at the Navarre Dog Park, according to a county spokeswoman. The county erected signs at all county parks on Wednesday in an effort to warn locals and visitors about the virus, that is similar to the common cold for a human and can kill your dog.
“We cannot confirm how many dogs have contracted the virus at county parks. The information we received was from a phone call to the Parks Department and the Visitor’s Information Center,” said Sarah Whitfield, Santa Rosa County Public Information Specialist.
According to Whitfield, an individual called the county after seeing a post on Facebook about the possible contamination.
“The caller stated that they saw a post on Facebook,” Whitfield stated. “The calls and post on Facebook put the location at the Navarre Dog Park — located within the Navarre Sports Complex. No dogs are confirmed to have actually contracted the virus at the park, just a woman took her dog to the park and he later tested positive (for Parvo). We cannot be sure where he contracted it.”
The flyers that we are being put up at the county parks are for educational purposes only according to Whitfield.
Parvo Virus is highly contagious and dogs can contract the virus anywhere, according to the press release. But the county is taking precautions to warn its residents of the reports of the virus at the local parks since it has potential to be deadly and can be very expensive to treat.
Dogs who come in contact with the virus experience bloody diarrhea and excessive vomiting.
The virus is spread through the dog’s stool or vomit and can be transmitted to another dog when they step on the vomit or stool with their paw. According to the county press release, the virus is very hard to kill, but bleach can be used to treat it.
Here are some tips to keep your dog from getting Parvo:
– Have your dog vaccinated. Ask your veterinarian about getting your dog vaccinated for the Parvo Virus. Puppies and older dogs are more susceptible to getting the virus and the vaccine must be given to your dog at a young age or they will have the possibility of contracting it as an adult.
– Don’t take your dog to the park if it is sick. If your dog is vomiting or has soft stool do not take him/her to area parks where they have the potential of getting other dogs sick.
– If your dog is old, consider avoiding parks or group settings. Parvo is susceptible to older dogs who have weaker immune systems.
