EVERETT, Wash. — The Everett Animal Shelter is warning dog owners about a spike in parvo cases across Snohomish County over the last month.
Parvo is a highly contagious viral disease and is often deadly.
Typically, young dogs get it through contact with infected dogs with symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy.
“Usually, we’ll see a couple of cases, but just hearing about all of these reports and seeing the animals that are coming in sick, gives us concern that people aren’t getting their animals vaccinated, which is really important,” said Glynis Frederiksen, an animal services manager with Everett Animal Shelter.
Frederiksen says parvo prevention is easier and much cheaper than treatment.
“It is a relatively inexpensive vaccine compared to the cost of treatment, which could be anywhere from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 if the animal is really sick; it is definitely worth it,” said Frederiksen.
Frederiksen says the shelter is looking for ways to help dog owners who feel they can’t afford those vaccinations.
“We’re seeing low-income facilities where there’s a lot of people who can’t afford vet care and one animal gets sick, those other animals are really susceptible to it, so we’re going to be getting out and doing some vaccine clinics for those residents,” said Frederiksen
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