An urgent warning to dog owners
PARVOVIRUS is one of the diseases that are protected against with the annual vaccination and so it is something I discuss regularly in the consulting room.
And yet the reality is that we have not seen a confirmed parvovirus case at Donaldson’s Vets for some time.
That has all changed this week as we have seen two dogs from completely different backgrounds, each suffering from Parvovirus.
As the name suggests, parvovirus is caused by a virus and it can be highly contagious and, sadly, it can be fatal.
The virus attacks cells in a dog’s intestines and stops them from being able to absorb vital nutrients. This means that a dog or puppy will become very weak and dehydrated.
Symptoms of parvo include foul-smelling diarrhoea with blood in it, vomiting, loss of appetite, collapse, depression, fever and sudden death.
Young puppies and unvaccinated dogs, including those who have not had their booster injections, are most at risk from becoming victims of parvo.
Puppies go downhill very quickly because the symptoms caused by parvovirus make them very weak and mean their immune systems have to work very hard to fight the disease.
Youngsters between six weeks and six months old are also more susceptible to secondary infections, or they may die from dehydration.
Parvo is highly contagious to other dogs and spreads very easily around dogs and puppies that aren’t up to date with their vaccinations.
It takes up to seven days for a dog to show signs of having parvovirus after they have caught it.
Parvovirus spreads through body fluids, including in a dog’s poo and vomit.
It is extremely hardy and can survive in the environment outside the body – for example in the grass at a park – for at least six months, and possibly much longer.
Your dog can even contract parvo by sniffing another dog’s poo and it’s not uncommon for dogs to catch parvo when out for a walk. Preventing Parvovirus is relatively easy. Dogs and puppies can be vaccinated against parvovirus from the age of six weeks.
A puppy should have their first vaccine at six to eight weeks old.
They will then need a second vaccine to give full immunity and regular booster vaccinations to maintain the protection.
The cost of vaccinations is very much lower (not to mention the emotional costs of having an extremely sick dog) so dig out that vaccination certificate or call your vet to check that your dog is protected.