Dog owners warned to guard against disease

Veterinarians are warning that complacency about canine parvovirus may lead to another outbreak of the horrific, deadly disease.

An outbreak in Nelson in the last month has seen about a dozen dogs contract the disease (five were put down), and a smaller outbreak further south in Temuka saw four dogs infected.

Parvovirus is a highly contagious disease that strips the inner lining of the bowel, dehydrating dogs and causing continual vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and sometimes death.

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It was a "hellishly expensive" disease to treat, and only 50 percent survive after up to $600 worth of treatment.

Even then the survivors' heart muscles were damaged and they did not thrive afterwards.

"I know quite a lot of farmers who don't vaccinate their dogs, or only vaccinate the pups and then forget about it."

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