Deadly dog disease parvovirus is sweeping Britain with 12 confirmed cases in 48 hours

Deadly dog disease parvovirus is sweeping Britain with 12 confirmed cases in 48 hours in just one county as greedy breeders are selling puppies without getting their jabs done

• Parvovirus attacks puppies’ tummies so they can’t absorb life-giving nutrients
• In Lincolnshire, 12 cases of  the parvovirus have been reported in 48 hours
• More dogs have been hit by it in Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire 
• In one case a loveable labrador needed £4,000 of treatment to save his life

A highly infectious disease which kills dogs is on the increase in Britain – and greedy breeders are helping it spread by deviously selling puppies without getting their jabs done first.

Parvovirus attacks puppies’ tummies so they can’t absorb life-giving nutrients, leading to dehydration and death.

The germs are spread by dog saliva or poo and there is no cure, so innoculation to prevent it in the first place is the best remedy.

Labrador puppy Otter as he underwent £4,000 worth of treatment to beat disease

• 
  It’s puppy love: Young dog comforts his poorly little sister…

  
  Vet is found guilty of helping five gang members sell more…

• 
  Fears deadly virus will wipe out cats across Australia as…

Share this article

Poor Otter spent five days on an isolation ward where he was given fluids intravenously, medication and a transfusion

Often puppies are being sold online by unscrupulous breeders who make themselves more cash by not paying for the puppies’ jabs. 

In Lincolnshire, 12 cases of parvovirus were reported in 48 hours, with more dogs hit by it in Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire and Yorkshire.  

Canine experts are urging people buying puppies to ask for the paperwork to show their injections are up to date.

In one of the latest cases, a loveable Labrador puppy called Otter was sold online when he was ten weeks old.

Days later he was diagnosed with the disease and needed £4,000 of treatment to save his life.

Otter playing with his monkey cuddly toy following his brush with death

Otter had not been vaccinated and his new owners could not pay the bill.

But he was saved after he was adopted by Martina Eyre-Brook, who treated him when he was brought into her surgery, Vets4Pets in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, suffering from sickness and diarrhoea.

She said ‘After five days of intravenous fluids, medication and a plasma transfusion, he was still very ill. We thought we were going to lose him.’

She spent five days caring for him on an isolation ward.

‘Just as we thought it was the end, he stopped vomiting.

‘Thankfully, he is on the road to a full recovery. But many aren’t as lucky.’ 

Often referred to as ‘parvo’, the bug is second only to the dreaded Alabama Rot as a dog killer in the UK. 

British Veterinary Association President John Fishwick said ‘We encourage owners to ensure their dogs’ vaccinations are up to date.

‘Signs of parvo include diarrhoea and vomiting, lack of appetite and depression.’

What is the parvovirus and how is it treated? 

• Parvovirus attacks cells in a dog’s intestines and stops them from being able to absorb vital nutrients

• Symptoms of parvo include foul-smelling diarrhoea with blood in it, vomiting, loss of appetite, collapse, depression, fever and sudden death 

• There is no cure, but vaccinating a dog or puppy against parvo will protect them  

• Dogs with the disease will be put on a drip and given intravenous fluids to stop them from becoming dehydrated. 
• They may also be given drugs to help control vomiting, which also helps to prevent dehydration.

• If a dog with parvo has caught a secondary infection as a result of a weakened immune system, they may be given antibiotics.

 

 

Source: Read Full Article