Saskatoon dog owner warns of parvovirus following death of puppy

Kevin Neskar and his family had lost their long-time companion of ten years in August.

After a few months had passed, Neskar decided to welcome a new puppy to his household, Mio, a mixed-breed Shepherd, Labrador, Collie-cross.

Mio came as a bundle of energy, Neskar said. He took the pup for a walk around Saskatoon’s A. H. Browne Park close to Christmas, which ended up having serious consequences.

Neskar claims that Mio ended up picking up the parvovirus disease while on that walk through the city park that also houses the local splash park, jungle gym, football field and baseball field.

“I had noticed quite a bit of dog crap along the sidewalk, getting there, down Avenue C, 37th Street, 36th Street, Avenue D, just all over that area. Just people not picking up after their dogs. I tried to stay away, but apparently, not enough,” Neskar told 650 CKOM in a recent interview.

“We (he) ended up picking up parvovirus and we had to put him down.”

Parvovirus can be transmitted several ways, including direct dog-to-dog contact, and contaminated feces.

Neskar said Mio was scheduled to have his parvovirus shots the weekend that the dog had to be put down.

He said he would like to see more patrols within city parks, potentially with the SPCA to ensure people are picking up after their dogs. He also floated the idea of starting a list of owners that fail to comply to the city bylaws, so they could come and help with clean-up during the spring melt.

“As a responsible dog owner, not only are you supposed to look after the dog, you’re supposed to clean up after your dog as well. If you’re not doing it, in my opinion you don’t deserve to have that puppy,” Neskar said.

The owner said Mio battled the virus for five days before the family had to put him down at the University of Saskatchewan Veterinary Clinic.

Dr. Anthony Carr is a professor in small animal clinical sciences and an internal specialist at the clinic.

He said he didn’t have exact numbers for Saskatoon, but the impression at the clinic is that the city isn’t in an ‘epidemic’ situation, but we’re never free of the deadly disease.

He gave more background on what it does to dogs, typically a puppy disease.

“Usually picked up orally, it is a very, very resistant virus. It can easily survive for years in the environment,” Dr. Carr said. “When a puppy gets it…it winds up attacking anything that’s rapidly dividing.

“These dogs wind up getting severe (gastrointestinal) signs. They’re vomiting, they have profuse diarrhea, that often becomes bloody…so many of those dogs will die from sepsis.”

Dr. Carr added that without treatment, the virus in the “greatest majority of cases” is fatal. With treatment, the success rate is better than an eighty per cent survival rate, but it’s a costly recovery.

He said the parvovirus can be picked up anywhere, adding that Neskar’s dog could have picked it up at A. H. Browne Park.

“Even just walking your dog, or even in the backyard, any of those things are possible. You can pick it up almost anywhere,” he said.

Dr. Carr suggested that an unvaccinated or minimally-vaccinated puppy should avoid areas with a large-concentration of dogs.

In a statement provided to 650 CKOM Jan. 5, the City of Saskatoon said it was not aware of any issue regarding the virus at A. H. Browne Park. It said that it can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly where an animal contracted the virus from.

“A.H. Browne Park is not an off-leash area, however, dogs are permitted to be in the park as long as they are on a leash and the owner follows applicable bylaws, including cleaning up after their animal,” the statement reads.

Regardless, the Neskar family knows that its next furry friend will not be entering their household any time soon.

He said with the long-lasting effects of the virus, it’s going to be a while before they welcome their next puppy.

“It can last…so, us getting a new puppy, it’s probably going to be a year or more,” he said.