FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Cumberland County Animal Services has seen a limited number of young dogs or puppies infected with Canine Parvovirus (CPV) recently in our shelter. CPV is very common and widespread in North Carolina and can cause severe illness and death, particularly in young puppies or unvaccinated dogs.
Currently, due to the risk of CPV exposure, we are halting all non-emergency dog intake and are restricting dogs to their current housing area until quarantine is complete. Fully vaccinated adult dogs available for adoption, an showing no signs of illness, will continue to be available to the public with the below listed precautions. Animal Services plans to resume regular operations on March 18, 2024, pending no further developments. Please contact your veterinarian with questions about CPV.
All dogs and puppies entering the Cumberland County Animal Services shelter are vaccinated against CPV upon intake if they are old enough. Unfortunately, this action does not prevent an infected animal from appearing healthy and entering the shelter. Animal Services strongly encourages anyone who adopts from us to have their new pet examined by their veterinarian as soon as possible, and to isolate the new pet from existing pets for a minimum of 10 days, and ideally 2 full weeks.
During this time of quarantine, the Animal Services Departments asks members of the community who find a stray dog post the dog on social media (PawBoost, Facebook, NextDoor, etc.) to locate an owner.
Dog owners are advised to ensure their pet’s vaccinations are up to date through their veterinarian. Some general information about CPV from the UC Davis Shelter Medicine Program can be found here https://www.sheltermedicine.com/library/resources/canine-parvovirus-cpv and include:
- CPV is highly infectious and causes diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, lethargy, weakness, and fever. The virus also attacks white blood cells, leaving the infected dog much more susceptible to other bacterial infections.
- Diarrhea can be mild or severe, even fatal. Diarrhea in an otherwise bright, alert, eating, drinking dog is more likely due to diet change, stress, parasites, or dietary indiscretion, than to CPV.
- The virus is very contagious and is spread by exposure to feces. Unfortunately, many dogs from shelters often have been exposed to CPV and should be observed for 14 days after adoption to be sure they are not incubating the virus.
- There is some risk that a dog incubating CPV will infect other dogs. The new dog and their feces should be kept away from puppies and unvaccinated dogs for 2 weeks.
- Dogs that have had at least two vaccines, with the last one at least 2 weeks prior to exposure to an infected dog are fairly protected.
- If you suspect your dog has CPV, call your veterinarian as soon as possible. The earlier the infection is diagnosed and treated with fluids, antibiotics, and nursing care, the more likely they are to do well.