The canine parvovirus is a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that wreaks havoc on a dog’s intestinal tract. Early January 2020, a suggested parvovirus outbreak in Cape Town raised more questions than answers. Why would something so serious go viral, but nobody can find the facts?
The concern came when a screenshot was shared on various Whatsapp groups, following to then be posted online.
Upon investigating the matter, we found that the owner of a Puppy Training school had just lost her beloved puppy to the virus. They took it upon themselves to send out a notice to close their facility for two weeks - for the safety of their clients and their pets.
Chyanne and Matthew Parker from Intelligent K9 Academy wrote on their Facebook page:
"Our puppy Juju Bear was fully vaccinated and a healthy 30kg's at 6 months old and the future working dog of our puppy class. He was seen and loved by many 3 days before the first symptom showed. He was a complete goofball and you would never have thought he was a dead dog walking. Within 36hrs of the first sign of not interested in his food, he was gone. He was 1 of the 3 cases."
What does the Animal Welfare Society in Cape Town have to say?
However, Resource Development and Communications Officer of the Animal Welfare Society (AWS), Allan Perrins said one case does not mean an outbreak. “We can’t confirm the outbreak at the moment,” he commented. One animal clinic says that while the disease is fatal, owners of vaccinated dogs need not be worried, via their Facebook page. “Prevention is always better than cure,” Perrins said. “If you have vaccinated your dog, you have taken the necessary precaution and done all you can do.” His caution follows the news that at least one dog has died as a result of the virus. - Cape Town etc
Our sincere condolences go out to this family for the terribly untimely loss of their beloved furbaby. May his sweet little soul now RIP.
The Importance of Vaccination
The most important fact that we have to understand about this virus, is that it is deadly. All puppies must have their vaccinations before they are exposed to public places, like beaches, dog parks, and training schools. Make sure you do your vaccinations on the date that your vet tells you to, or you could possibly suffer from vaccination failure. Pet ownership is not easy, as we take these little earth angels into our hands and lives, then if something happens to them, we are devastated - often something that could have been prevented. Please share this message with your friends and family and don't forget to subscribe to the Pet Healthcare Newsletter and social media pages to stay up to date with what is happening in the pet world around us.
