Dog owners are being warned to take extra care of their pets after an outbreak of the highly contagious and lethal parvovirus around Clacton.
A vet in the town is urging owners to be aware of the symptoms – and crucially to get their pets vaccinated – in a bid to halt the spread of the disease.
Parvo causes vomiting and bloody diarrhoea among dogs, with an early warning sign being pets off their food.
Highly contagious, it can be passed on through direct contact with infected dogs or their faeces, though it can also lie dormant for some time.
Most worryingly it can be fatal in close to 100% of cases particularly among puppies, who have a weaker immune system.
There is no antidote, and treatment consists of intensive care and therapy for the symptoms. Vaccination is effective in preventing contraction of the virus.
Dr Matthew Redgewell, a vet at Kinfauns surgery in Little Clacton, said the practice had been seeing several cases a week over the past few months, with one or two phone calls a day – and many would be going to other vets or simply having their pet die at home before they can seek help.
Most of the cases had come from the Jaywick area, but he warned there had been incidents in other parts of Clacton too.
“It is definitely a significant outbreak and we have been seeing an increasing number of cases over the past month, it has been getting worse.
“Because it can lie dormant even at areas that seem clean there can be a chance.
“Treatment can be quite expensive and you don’t always get a good outcome. The key is early intervention.
“If you have an infected litter the whole litter will come down with it and without early intervention the mortality rate will be close to 100%.
“Every dog that is vaccinated weakens the chance of it spreading. Vaccination is highly effective at preventing the disease.
“For dogs that are not vaccinated I would discourage from going to areas of high dog volumes, such as the park or beach.”
Have you been affected by this? Email will.lodge@archant.co.uk if you think you can help warn others.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here