Protect your dog from parvovirus warns NOAH

Dog deaths from parvovirus are on the increase, warns the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH). And NOAH advises dog owners to check the vaccination status of their dog, and to talk to their vet if they are worried.

Parvovirus is highly infectious and causes life-threatening gastroenteritis in dogs. It is spread from dog to dog by physical contact and contact with any surface previously contaminated by faeces. The risk is further increased by the virus’s ability to survive for months in the environment and resist conventional disinfectants. Typical signs, which come on quickly, include bloody diarrhoea, vomiting and lethargy. Even with rapid treatment, most dogs die very painfully and often within 48-72 hours of developing clinical signs.

“Prevention is the only way to ensure that a dog remains healthy. This dreadful disease can be prevented by a simple vaccination but the reason we are seeing this increase is because not enough dogs are vaccinated against it,” explains NOAH chief executive Phil Sketchley. “Just because your dog had its jabs as a puppy, does not mean it is protected now. Vaccination needs to be kept up to date by regular boosters to ensure your pet remains safe.”

Any owner with a dog showing signs of the disease should consult their vet straight away as advances in critical care and the treatment of viral diseases can increase the probability of survival if given early.

“We have monitored reports of the disease over the years,” says Mr Sketchley. “There have always been a few small areas where disease has occurred, but now there appear to be increasing reports of disease - and it is appearing in areas where there had never previously been a problem. This means dogs are now at greater risk,” he adds.

For many years the control of parvovirus has been one of the great successes of veterinary medicine. The disease appeared in the late 1970s and the animal medicines industry responded quickly to produce a vaccine. There were queues round the streets of anxious owners waiting to get their dogs vaccinated and for many years the disease has been largely kept at bay.

But the virus is persistent and now it seems that the number of dogs vaccinated - traditionally around 45-50% of the population - has dipped to a level where the virus can once more thrive. There are reports of dogs dying in many areas of the UK, and some vets are already reporting an increased demand for parvovirus vaccination.

“Your dog is vulnerable if its vaccinations are not up to date,” stresses Mr Sketchley. “If you have any doubt, get in touch with your vet now.”

24 August 2006

Notes for Editors

For further information contact Phil Sketchley or Alison Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH website.
The National Office of Animal Health was formed on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research, develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products. The association has 32 corporate members and 10 associate members. In 2004 NOAH's members accounted for well over 90% of the £398 million UK animal health market