Most dog owners enjoy a nice walk through parks, and off leash areas during the summer, but it could put your furry friend at risk.

A recent outbreak of Parvo Virus in the M.D. of Foothills has had some pet owners on high alert, however, Big Hill Veterinarian Gerri Smith says there's not much to worry about in Rocky View County.

"We haven't seen any Parvo beyond regular levels." he says. "It's not a widespread problem, they had a spurt of it in that area but we haven't seen it here."

Smith says symptoms of Parvo virus include vomitting and diahhrea, blood in excrements, and dehydration. He reminds everyone that just because a dog is presenting these symptoms doesn't mean they have a virus.

He recommends keeping an eye on your dog while out, making sure they aren't eating anything off the ground.

"Well by far the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea is just dogs eating something that they're not used to. The springtime is always worse for that, as the melt occurs and things get exposed. So any dogs that are going out, and around will certainly eat things that they find on the ground or chew on things. For us that's the most common thing that we see."

Summertime is also tick season, a parasite that can be found anywhere from the woods to urban parks. Thousands of dogs annually become infected with ehrlichioses, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and more from ticks.

Smith says it's important to regularly check your pup, especially if its outdoors often.

"Animals that are going out in natural areas, such as grassed or treed areas are at higher risk. The first thing is to check them closely after every walk, try to look through their hair as best you can. When ticks are first on they are pretty small, and can be difficult to find, once they feed and get engorged that's when people find them."

He recommends tick prevention products for dogs that will be in natural areas often. Smith also says that as the weather gets warmer unfortunately there is still a need to remind people to not leave their pets in their cars.

"Don't leave dogs in vehicles, it doesn't take much time to get overheated. We also like to remind people to not have dogs ride in the back of vehicles, trucks particularily. They may get thrown out, or jump out, we see a lot of trauma based on that."