5 Dogs Euthanized In Parvovirus Outbreak At Sonoma Animal Shelter
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) – Sonoma County Animal Services is decontaminating the county animal shelter in the wake of a possible canine parvovirus outbreak, a Department of Health Services spokesman said.
Five stray dogs infected with parvovirus in the last 10 days were euthanized, and adoptions at the shelter were canceled, department spokesman Scott Alonso said.
The virus is highly contagious and is spread from direct contact, but is preventable with proper vaccination, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
The virus affects the dog's gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include loss of appetite, diarrhea, low body temperature, inactivity, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Two adoptable dogs may have been exposed at the shelter at 1247 Century Court in Santa Rosa, and they have been moved to the stray animal side of the shelter, Alonso said.
Only stray dogs identified by their owner will be allowed to leave the shelter, and all dogs that were removed from the shelter should be seen by a veterinarian for possible exposure to the virus, Alonso said.
During the decontamination of the shelter, volunteers or staff will not be walking dogs out of the stray side of the facility, he said.
Parvovirus is common at animal shelters, and protocols are in place to ensure the outbreak will be contained, according to Alonso.
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