Fears fatal dog virus will spread

DEADLY VIRUS: Young puppies, like this one with Massey Heights Veterinary Hospital's Michael Macdonald, are particularly vulnerable to parvovirus. This puppy has just had its first vaccination.

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An outbreak of a potentially fatal dog virus spreading through Massey and Swanson has veterinarians afraid the highly contagious illness could spread to other regions.

Michael Macdonald of Massey Heights Veterinary Hospital says he's seen four times the usual number of canine parvovirus cases at his clinic in the past month.

"We usually see about five to 10 cases in a year but we've had six to 10 confirmed cases in the past month.

"We've had more dogs come in showing symptoms but the owners haven't wanted to run the tests because it's expensive."

Mr Macdonald says two dogs were put down because their owners couldn't afford the parvovirus treatment.

The canine parvovirus is highly contagious but does not affect humans.

It causes vomiting, diarrhoea and depression.

Dogs can be vaccinated as puppies and then have a 95 percent chance of not contracting the virus.

Mr Macdonald says there is a significant chance the virus will spread to other parts of Auckland.

"The danger is that it can survive for months in the environment after it's been released by the dog so your dog wouldn't need to have direct contact with a sick dog to get ill."

About half the cases Mr Macdonald has seen in the last few weeks have been in adult dogs.

"That's pretty unusual for this virus because it's usually puppies that contract it because of their weaker immune systems."

One of the adult dogs treated at Massey is Taffy, a three-and-a-half-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier cross owned by Monique Elliott.

"She had no energy, she wasn't wagging her tail or lifting her head – she was on death's door," she says.

Taffy was put on an intravenous drip and kept in intensive care for five days until she recovered.

Miss Elliott says Taffy has made a full recovery.

Mobile veterinarian Gina Voglar says the cases in adult dogs may suggest the parvovirus strain is a particularly nasty one.

"It may have mutated to adapt to environmental factors like temperature and humidity." Ms Voglar says lower vaccination rates of dogs in west Auckland mean the virus could affect more dogs than in other parts of Auckland.

Mr Macdonald and Ms Voglar advise dog owners to have animals fully vaccinated.

Glen Eden's Auckland Veterinary Services says unvaccinated dogs should avoid properties where there have been dogs with the virus for 12 to 18 months after the infection.

- © Fairfax NZ News