Deadly dog disease confirmed in Hungerford

Advice for dog owners following Parvovirus case

DOG owners in Hungerford have been put on alert following a confirmed case of a highly contagious disease.

The Veterinary Hospital Hungerford contacted the Newbury Weekly News to confirm a case of the Parvovirus in the Hungerford area.

The disease leads to weakness and severe bloody vomiting and diarrhoea. Dogs, and especially puppies, can die quickly from dehydration and severe blood loss.

Parvovirus can be caught directly from other infected dogs and symptoms usually develop within ten days of infection.

But as the virus can survive for several months in the environment a dog could pick it up just by sniffing in a park.

Hungerford Vets said that intensive treatment is necessary for dogs with the infection. However, even with this treatment, not all dogs survive.

Jonny Green of the Hungerford Vets said: “This is a local dog that normally walks on the common and the marsh but does go elsewhere. It’s normally picked up from infected faeces.

“It’s a horrible disease and can kill them. The difficulty is knowing where this dog picked it up from as it can stay in the environment for a number of days.”

When asked if there was reason to panic Mr Green said: “If we get more then I would; but not at this stage.”

Mr Green urged dog owners to ensure that their pets vaccinations were up to date and advised people to contact their vet if a pet displayed symptoms

People with concerns should call the Vetinery Hospital on 01488 683999.