Parvo virus is probably the most common viral illness of dogs. The virus attacks and kills cells in the intestinal lining causing diarrhea, depression and suppression of white blood cells. In very young puppies, parvo can infect the heart muscle and lead to "sudden" death.

This virus barely existed before the 1970s but quickly became a major cause of canine death in the 1990s. The good news is that parvo vaccines are available. Adult dogs are routinely immunized against parvo on either a one year or three year schedule, depending on your vet’s recommendation.

Puppies are more challenging to protect since their have some natural immunity from the mothers that declines in effectiveness over time. Therefore, many vets recommend vaccinating puppies every three to four weeks for this virus starting at 6 weeks of age and continuing until they are at least 16 weeks of age and preferably 20 weeks of age.

Posted by Paula.