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The Phrase Dog Owners Never Want To Hear: 'Your Pet Has Parvo'

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- When this killer disease hits, it will cost thousands to save an animal. Mike Schuh reports, saving two parvo-puppies is causing a local shelter to ask for help.

There's constant motion at the pet ER in Towson.

The patients are recuperating, including dogs, Lucas and Manny. Their handlers wear special clothes and decontaminate when finished because they're in isolation because they have parvo virus.

"It's a virus that attacks the intestinal cells. It causes bloody diarrhea and mucus," said PetER Medical Director Dr. Tanya Tag. "It's a really aggressive virus they can die from it. They really need aggressive care."

Aggressive care their owners could not afford, so they gave the puppies to the Maryland SPCA.

"The Maryland SPCA really wants to help whoever we can help, and so when the puppies came to our door we wanted to do everything possible to make sure they were healthy," said Nichole Miller of the Maryland SPCA.

Manny is healthy enough to go another vet. Lucas will go on Monday, but their health came at a high cost.

"So I believe these puppies have racked up about a $5,000 bill. So we really need your help," Miller said. "And if you can donate anything we really do need your help. We get no money from the ASPCA, we don't have any other large organization above us, it's just us, we're a private organization and we really need help to keep doing what we do."

Because parvo vaccines take some time to become effective, it's recommended that exposure to other dogs be limited until puppies get their second vaccination.

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