Deadly Disease Spreads After Walks at Popular Dog Spot

A deadly disease ailing dogs has started spreading around the pet community in Scotland after the animals were exposed at a popular dog-walking destination.

Wallace Veterinary Centres in Scotland recently shared that its Broughty Ferry location had seen on average one case of the parvovirus per day for the past six weeks, and one dog has died from the highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease.

Canine parvovirus, also known as parvo, is a life-threatening contagious intestinal disease that is mostly fatal to puppies, older dogs or dogs with underlying health conditions. Dogs are typically vaccinated against the disease in a series of three inoculations administered between 6 and 16 weeks of age. Without the vaccine and treatment, the virus is 90 percent fatal.

Newsweek reached out to Wallace through Facebook for comment Wednesday.

However, even vaccinated dogs can fall victim to the disease, and it appears to be spreading along the Dundee and Angus coastlines in Scotland, according to a report by The Courier.

Facebook page Our Monifieth, a community news page for the Monifieth area, shared the devastating news on Wednesday morning that a pet had been killed by the virus.

“Last night I got one of the saddest [messages] ever from a customer, his young, healthy, inoculated dog was sick a couple of times yesterday, turned out to be parvo and she passed away,” the post said. “He had had her for a walk at Monifieth beach on Thursday and has since heard it is rife with parvo.”

The post sparked dozens of comments from concerned pet owners. The post urged residents in the area to “be careful” and “watch for any unusual behaviour or sickness from your dogs.”

Symptoms of parvovirus include lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, bloating, fever or low body temperature, vomiting and severe diarrhea that is bloody. Pet owners who witness their pets experiencing the symptoms should take them to a veterinarian immediately.

The breeds at higher risk of getting infected with parvo are considered to be Rottweilers, American pit bull terriers, German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and Doberman pinschers, Newsweek previously reported. Toy poodles and cocker spaniels have a decreased risk of catching the disease.

The virus is highly contagious and resistant to heat. Bleach diluted with water is the best disinfecting solution for cleaning areas infected by the virus, which has an incubation period of up to one week, meaning it could take that long before a pet begins to exhibit symptoms.

Acting fast is key to recovery from parvo, even in those pets that are vaccinated.