Vets are calling for owners to vaccinate their dogs as cases of a deadly stomach virus tear through Wellington, with four puppies euthanised because of the highly-contagious bug.
“They were only four weeks old,” said Porirua local Shardenna Jewel Reihana.
Parvovirus is a gastro-related virus in dogs, that can become fatal within days after symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea, and not eating begin. It is preventable through vaccinations.
Reihana’s mother adopted a rescue dog from Taranaki, who they suspected was pregnant.
The mini-Jack Russell, Pixie, had four puppies, which Reihana said she was protective of.
But last month Pixie began vomiting and showing signs of parvovirus, and rejecting her pups.
Going to the SPCA on the first day of symptoms, Pixie and her four puppies all tested positive for parvo.
While Pixie survived, the four puppies had to be euthanised.
“It was gutting. It was really heartbreaking.”
Porirua was “parvo central” at the moment, Reihana said.
HUHA, a charity animal welfare organisation, has seen at least 30 cases in the past month, with the trend starting in the Hutt Valley and progressing into Porirua.
The extensive treatment for the virus was similar to Covid-19, said HUHA chief executive and founder Carolyn Press-McKenzie.
“It’s like a tummy version of Covid for dogs, in a way.”
“The ones that tend to pass are the ones where it’s just gone on for a bit of a while before they get to us and they’ve just got nothing left in the tank and they fade away.”
Puppies and older dogs are more vulnerable to the virus, as they are either not yet vaccinated or are immunocompromised.
HUHA is offering free treatment for the virus, in the form of antibiotics, as long as the owner has a diagnosis and referral from a vet.
Owners must keep the dog in their vehicles to be treated, so as to not contaminate the rest of the clinic.
“It’s very much like the Covid line up ... We’ll treat them through their car windows and we wear all the [Personal Protective Equipment].”
Owners must commit to re-visiting the clinic for five to six days.
Parvo is often caught through dog faeces or vomit, even living in soil for up to seven years.
“There’s so many cases of it, there’s probably a lot in backyards just sitting dormant waiting for the next unvaccinated pup to come along.”
Press-Mckenzie said some methods owners used to decontaminate their homes could actually make things worse.
“I had one person, we were treating their dog for parvo and they told us they’d just hired a Rug Doctor to clean their house of parvo, and of course the chemical in the Rug Doctor isn’t going to kill the parvo. But the parvo is now in the Rug Doctor. So, the next person hiring that, that’s a real concern.”
Another owner had taken their dog to a local pet wash facility, which would likely have contaminated that too.
“They really need to go into lockdown when they’re dealing with parvo. They need to be spraying the bottom of their shoes with bleach. They need to be making sure that anybody coming and going from the house is decontaminated.”
Using bleach on surfaces was best to kill the virus, Press-Mckenzie said.
Some owners had used at-home remedies, including Powerade, to keep their dog’s hydration up. Press-Mckenzie clarified that sugar-free Powerade was not suitable for dogs, and recommended coconut water as a natural alternative, as well as putting honey on the dog’s gums to absorb into their system.
SPCA Wellington centre manager Archie Pararasasingam said they were seeing two to three cases per week focused in Porirua, which was higher than usual.
“One jab will literally save your dog, or save them from a pretty awful time.”
The SPCA is hosting a drive for free vaccinations, microchipping, and defleaing on April 19 at Porirua College, with disease control of utmost importance.
The SPCA is trying “to get ahead of the problem and help those families where money is definitely a factor”, Pararasasingam said.
“Prioritise getting your animals vaccinated because community immunity makes all the difference.”
Co-founder of advocacy group Paw Justice Craig Dunn warned owners that this was not a simple tummy-bug.
“It’s definitely a disease that can kill your dog very quickly as well if not taken through to the vet and stuff. So, the main thing is to make sure you get vaccinated.”
“If you don’t vaccinate your dog, you’re going to run that risk, and it can be deadly and you don’t want to lose your best friend.”
He said the virus was common this time of year during puppy season.
Sammy Carter is a journalist for the New Zealand Herald covering news in the Wellington region. She has previously worked at the Rotorua Daily Post.