New Zealand Dog News

Reviewing the dog news in New Zealand with editors comments. Someone needs to keep reviewing how our dogs are doing in society.

October 30, 2006

Warning over parvo outbreak

The human equivalent of the Ebola virus for dogs is striking in Taupo, prompting a stern warning from local vets.

They are urging people to vaccinate their dogs for the parvovirus after four puppies had to be put down in the past five months because of the disease.

Taupo SPCA chairwoman Faye Johnson says dog owners need to act. "It can be equated to the human virus Ebola. I've seen the results of it. It attacks the internal organs, a dog with parvo can die between 24 and 48 hours."

People can easily brush aside the welfare of their animal when it comes to paying for vaccinations that aren't free but are affordable for everyone, she says.

"They believe that why should I pay the extra money, but we immunise our children against the nasty diseases out there.
"It comes back to, when you take an animal on, you take it on for life. Puppies aren't just for Christmas." I hear that constantly at the Humane Society... and she's right!

(...) "We recommend vaccination of pregnant bitches while they're in pup."
Parvovirus has been around for about 20 years, he says. "Because it's a new virus it's very pathogenic towards the animals. They haven't had 100 years to build immunity."

"It's a virus that spores in the environment. It mutated from another virus, they think it came from the cat version."

Symptoms can include the animal becoming depressed, not eating and vomiting. This is followed two days later by diarrhoea that then becomes bloody diarrhoea, he says.

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