DOG owners are being advised to keep an eye on their pets after two cases of parvo virus in the past week.
Yanchep Veterinary Clinic and Animal Hospital veterinarian Sam Sorensen said two dogs had been diagnosed with severe parvo virus.
She urged all dog owners to vaccinate puppies and keep them safe from the outside world until the sequence of shots was completed as parvo was highly contagious.
Canine parvovirus (CPV) is a virus the main source of which is the faeces of infected dogs. The faeces of an infected dog can have a high concentration of viral particles. Susceptible animals become infected by ingesting the virus.
Subsequently, the virus is carried to the intestine where it invades the intestinal wall and causes inflammation.
Unlike most other viruses, CPV is stable in the environment and is resistant to the effects of heat, detergents, and alcohol.
CPV has been recovered from dog faeces even after three months at room temperature. Due to its stability, the virus is easily transmitted via the hair or feet of infected dogs, contaminated shoes, clothes, and other objects.
Direct contact between dogs is not required to spread the virus.
Dogs that become infected with the virus and show clinical signs will usually become ill within 7-10 days of the initial infection.
The clinical manifestations of CPV disease are somewhat variable, but generally take the form of severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
The diarrhoea may or may not contain blood.
Additionally, affected dogs often exhibit a lack of appetite, depression, and fever.
It is important to note that many dogs may not show every clinical sign, but vomiting and diarrhoea are the most common signs; vomiting usually begins first.
Parvo virus infection may affect dogs of all ages, but is most common in dogs less than 12-months-old.
Young puppies less than five months of age are often the most severely affected and the most difficult to treat.
