A new strain of the deadly parvovirus has emerged in Victoria and South Australia that has given a Port Stephens vet reason for concern.
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Parvovirus 2.0 (CPV-2c) presents much the same way as the original strain only there isn’t yet a vaccine for it yet.
“We don’t have to be alarmed yet but because we’re a holiday town we have to be aware,” Noah’s Ark Veterinary Clinic co-owner Donald Hudson said.
“We love tourists here but people do visit with pets from across the country.
“It’s a fairly virulent strain but the strain we already have is terrible enough.”
The virus commonly presents as vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite and bloody diarrhea.
“You can’t give them something to cure them you can only keep them hydrated, give them pain relief, and wait for them to regrow their stomach lining,” Dr Hudson said.
“It attacks those most rapidly multiplying cells and that’s the stomach lining. In that way it is similar to radiation sickness.”
While a new vaccine is expected in time vets are still urging people to use the existing one.
Dr Hudson said this was the best policy along with some basic precautions in the puppy phase.
Parvo is shed through the faeces of infected dogs and can survive for up to seven years in cool sand.
Dr Hudson said half of those puppies that contract parvovirus, which aren’t vaccinated, die.
“We recommend people stay out of the parks that dogs frequent, particularly at holiday times,” he said.
“People should only be introducing their puppies to other dogs they know are vaccinated.
“You can still take them to [appropriate] beaches because the tide cleans the sand.”
The new strain has already received attention on social media.
One Facebook post by Dr Chris Brown, of Bondi Vet fame, was shared 28,000 times.
“Merely the mention of parvovirus sends a shiver down the spine of vets and pet owners,” he wrote.
“This parvovirus 2.0 [CPV-2c] has been detected in Victoria and South Australia with evidence it may also have spread to Queensland and the Northern Territory.
“While there is no vaccine available as yet, the severity of the virus is seriously lessened by having the current, conventional parvovirus vaccination.”
People with puppies are generally advised to be cautious about moving into new homes with a history of dog ownership.
