Dog owners from Coonamble to Lightning Ridge are being warned to get their animals immunised against Parvovirus. Since 16 March North West Vets have hospitalised 6 dogs, euthenased 8 and recorded 20 dogs dying at home without being seen. Fifty other cases were reported but did not seek treatment.
By KEA BROWNING
A DEADLY virus is making its way around Coonamble and for once, we’re not referring to coronavirus.
Canine Parvovirus is a gastrointestinal virus that affects dogs and puppies. Left untreated, it can be fatal.
Parvo attacks the most rapidly dividing cells in your dog’s body, mainly the cells in the digestive system, but also the white blood cells in the bone marrow which impacts the immune system.
The virus destroys the lining of the intestine, leading to bloody diarrhoea, which is a common symptom.
“The first thing owners report is their young dog being lethargic or depressed and they stop eating,” said Kylie Parry, co-owner of NorthWest Vets.
“Sadly, they can die at that point and owners think they’ve been poisoned because death is so quick. If they survive, symptoms progress to vomiting and then diarrhoea and often they’ll be drooling from nausea.”
Parvovirus is passed in an infected dog’s faeces and the microscopic virus can survive in the soil for years.
This means that once it is in an area, such as your backyard, it becomes endemic: it will remain there for years.
“If you’ve previously had a dog with parvo in your yard, don’t introduce any dogs that haven’t had their vaccinations,” warned Dr Parry.
It’s a common misconception that dogs that don’t see other dogs (e.g. on a farm) can’t get infected, yet it is often people who can inadvertently spread the disease by standing on virus-infected soil and bringing it home on their shoes.
According to Dr Parry, Coonamble has always had higher numbers of parvo in comparison to the rest of the state, and we’re seeing a spike in parvovirus cases in the area.
“When we vaccinate pups, parvo is the number one disease we are trying to protect against,” she said.
“We believe we’re seeing more cases because we’ve had a recent wet spell after several dry years. The parvovirus survives in the environment during the dry and then moves around, possibly with water, after the rain.”
Veterinary treatment for parvovirus cases includes aggressive intravenous fluid therapy to rehydrate the body and an array of other medication, including antibiotics, pain relief and antiemetics.
Dogs are usually hospitalised and isolated for the course of the treatment, and require intensive nursing in the time it takes for the dog to repair its digestive system.
“That is all quite expensive, because it requires a lot of staff time just to look after those dogs,” Dr Parry said.
“Fortunately, we do have a good success rate of about 90% survival.”
To avoid the toll on you, your wallet and your pet, Dr Parry encourages all dog owners to get their puppies and dogs vaccinated.
“Puppies get up to 4 vaccinations, depending on their age – the older the dog, the less vaccinations are required,” she said.
“And it often costs at least twenty times more to treat parvo than it does to prevent it.”
Vets have been recognised as essential service providers by Minister of Agriculture, David Littleproud.
NorthWest Vets priority is ensuring the continued health and welfare of pets and livestock in the Coonamble district, but with appropriate infection risk management procedures in place.
“We’re taking appointments only, please don’t just turn up but ring ahead and we’ll work out a plan for your animal’s health, because there’s a lot we can work out over the phone,” Dr Parry said.
“If we do need to see you, we’re asking that only one person comes along with the patient, not the whole family.”
“We also now work in two separate teams that never see each other to preserve the chances of us remaining open and providing the essential veterinary service that we need to provide to the community.”