Knuckles became sick very rapidly last Monday night. We took him to the vet where he was diagnosed with Parvo and sent to the Animal Emergency Center in Tulsa where we were told he had a 50/50 chance of survival as a whole, but because he was a toy breed(pekingese) the risk was even higher. After 5 expensive days and nights in the Animal hospital, we are pleased to say Knuckles is alive and well. He won the hearts of the vet techs and doctors there and we have received numerous calls to check on him...I write about Knuckles to let you know about Parvo, a deadly, highly contagious virus in dogs and puppies. According to my research in this virus, 80% of the puppies that contract this virus die. Parvo is transmitted via the feces of infected dogs and can remain in a yard for up to a year or so in the soil. Parvo virus can only be killed with high heat or a bleach solution of 1/30. Prevention starts with having your puppies vaccinated at your local vet as potency and viability of the vaccine is highly volatile. Knuckles was vaccinated, but by the individual we purchased him from. For more information about Parvo, preventative steps, and signs and symptoms, please visit these sites..PetMD , working dogs and http://dogparvosymptoms.net/ .
