Published on Monday, 11 June 2018 at 4:30:41 PM
City of Greater Geraldton Rangers and local vets are urging dog owners to ensure their pets are vaccinated after the recent outbreak of parvovirus.
Several dogs are being euthanized due to the deadly virus which is spreading due to unvaccinated dogs.
Vet Isabelle Connor from Midwest Vets said the practice was seeing an increasing number of cases.
“We are getting a lot of dogs come through the clinic presenting with parvovirus and unfortunately the survival rate of the illness is not high,” she said.
“Parvovirus is very much preventable with vaccinations but once the virus hits – it really takes its toll on the dog.
“The biggest thing we preach is prevention. A vaccinated dog is unlikely to get parvovirus and it is much better protected.
“Prevention is much better than a cure and pet owners really need to consider the costs of having a dog before they get one,” she added.
Parvovirus is highly contagious and is spread by oral or nasal contact with contaminated faeces in the environment or contaminated objects.
It is extremely resilient in the environment and can survive in soil and on objects such as clothing, shoes and the floor for more than six months.
City Rangers also confirmed seven suspected cases of the virus at the Pound in both Geraldton and Mullewa.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said not vaccinating your dog just wasn’t worth the risk.
“I urge all dog owners to make sure their pups get vaccinated early on and to ensure their dogs are up to date with all their vaccinations,” he said.
“Our current pound isn’t equipped to deal with so many cases of the virus but I am pleased that our new Animal Management Facility will allow the City to better manage parvo outbreaks.
“The new Facility will mean we can better quarantine infected animals and prevent the infection spreading to other dogs.
“It will also give us ample capacity to house the high volume of animals we get through the Pound so our Rangers can perform their core function and ensure Ranger staff aren’t taking dogs to their personal properties due to lack of space.”
The tender for the new Animal Management Facility has closed and it will be awarded in the near future with construction to begin on the new financial year.
In order to help the community vaccinate their dogs, parvo vaccinations were undertaken at TAFE last week at a discounted price for puppies under six-months old as well as free microchipping services. The joint agency approach involved the TAFE veterinary department, local vets and City Ranger services.
A total of 43 vaccinations were administered and 32 dogs were microchipped with follow-up appointments to complete vaccination cycles.
Residents are urged to keep all puppies safe by not letting them outside of your fenced yard until they have received their vaccinations and are protected from the virus.
If your dog shows signs of lethargy, vomiting or diarrhoea, seek immediate veterinary attention. Early treatment is essential in improving the chance of survival.
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