Killer dog disease: Vets note rise in deadly virus

Northland Veterinary Group veterinarian Jane Nichols in the centre's isolation room, used when dogs come in with parvovirus. Photo / John Stone

A killer disease that rots the stomachs of dogs has reared its ugly head again in Northland, prompting vets to warn owners to keep their pets' vaccinations up-to-date.

Several cases of parvovirus have been reported in Whangarei region, ahead of the summer period when it generally becomes more prevalent.

The Northland Veterinary Group (NVG) recently had its first case of the season and was prepared for more, veterinarian Jane Nichols said.

"We tend to see it as a mid-to-late summer disease. We had quite a lot last year, so we hope it won't be as bad as that."

A highly contagious viral disease that affects the intestinal tract of dogs, Ms Nichols describes parvo as "like human dysentery - a very severe vomiting and diarrhoea".

"The gut almost rots out and you can often see blood in the stool. A lot die from it. It's rather depressing for us."

NVG veterinarians take dogs suspected of being infected through a side-door at the centre, into an isolation room to avoid contamination of other dogs, Ms Nichols said. "It's a serious disease - it's got to be treated as such."

The Whangarei SPCA has also had several cases and was gearing up for an increased numbers of infected dogs coming in, centre manager Francine Shields said. "Any dog coming in with vomiting or diarrhoea will be tested, and those with parvo will have to be euthanased."

The treatment for parvo includes intravenous fluids, antibiotics and 47 days' incubation, costing up to $1000 - something the Whangarei SPCA simply cannot afford, she said.

"It's a pretty cruel disease. To put it bluntly it rots the intestines - so your dog is rotting from the inside out.

"It's a horrific way for an animal to die."

The disease is spread through fecal matter and the only sure-fire prevention method is ensuring dogs' DHP (distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus) vaccinations are up-to-date.

"Parvo lives in the ground for a significant amount of time - years. And it's pretty hard to get rid of.

"The only guarantee [against parvo] is if you vaccinate them. The recovery and treatment is expensive. The cheapest and safest option is to vaccinate," she said.

New Zealand Veterinary Association head of veterinary services Callum Irvine said vaccinations protect the community as a whole.

"It's such an infectious disease, it's so easily transmitted - that's a huge part of the problem.

"The virus ... spreads very quickly. It causes severe damage to the gut, which leads to loss of blood into the intestine.

"The mortality rate is extremely high and those animals that survive can have lifelong medical conditions as a consequence."

The disease cannot be passed on to humans or other animals.