Veterinarians in Western Australia are raising the alarm as canine Parvovirus cases flood the area. This upward trend in cases, particularly in Derby and Broome, has led to immediate pleas for greater vigilance from dog owners. They are urged to vaccinate their pets. The corona virus has a high mortality rate. It can be especially devastating to unvaccinated dogs, as evidenced by the story of a local puppy named Spotti.
Five-month-old Spotti began to show some alarming Parvovirus symptoms and was quickly diagnosed. He took a turn for the worst, not wanting to drink water and experiencing severe nausea. His owner, Sheridan Jaffrey, observed that along with the physical symptoms, Spotti had developed behavioral issues too, becoming lethargic and more reclusive. Things began to escalate when he started passing blood in his stool, the main telltale sign of the disease.
To drive home this point, Jaffrey shared the story that Spotti had never been vaccinated because vaccination was too expensive. “Vaccinations are a lot cheaper than treatment,” stated Dr. Davis, a local veterinarian who treated Spotti at Broome Veterinary Hospital. What we do know is that the hospital receives an average of five new cases of parvovirus every week. In the meantime, Derby’s tally has climbed to twelve.
Understanding Parvovirus
Parvovirus is a serious and highly contagious disease that can be contracted through contaminated environments, such as soil. Dr. Davis suspects Spotti might have picked up the virus from her own backyard. “They’re so sick, they’re not drinking and they can’t keep anything down so they’re vomiting,” he explained, emphasizing the severe impact the virus can have on young dogs.
Stopping Parvovirus starts with vaccination and puppies must receive three doses to develop optimal immunity. Adult dogs that are unvaccinated only need one shot to be immune. Sadly, the large proportion of unvaccinated dogs in Broome makes it more difficult to contain the virus’s spread.
With appropriate veterinary treatment, the survival rate for dogs who become infected with Parvovirus is close to 80 percent. However, almost 50% of the infected puppies don’t make it because the disease causes horrible dehydration. Spotti went on to spend almost a week recuperating in an isolation unit of Broome Veterinary Hospital. At that point, he started his healing journey, which lasted around two weeks.
The Importance of Vaccination
Vaccination has always been a key part of maintaining canine health, and the present crisis certainly testifies to that need. Thus, Vets have seen an increase in case numbers annually from June through September. The wintertime peak corresponds unfortunately with the months that dogs are at greatest risk of exposure to the virus. As the situation continues to worsen, Dr. Davis says pet owners should do all they can to stay ahead of it.
“Find out and don’t be afraid to press the owners or the breeders for that information, or at least where they got it,” Dr. Davis advised. He urges pet owners to work with their veterinarians to confirm vaccination histories before bringing a new dog home.
