A highly contagious virus that can kill unvaccinated puppies has been detected across multiple regions of Tasmania, prompting urgent warnings from veterinarians.
Canine parvovirus cases have been confirmed in the Devonport area this week, with multiple reports also emerging across southern Tasmania.
The Forth Valley Veterinary Clinic in Turners Beach issued a community alert following confirmed cases in the region.
Animal Emergency Service Hobart separately reported “multiple cases” within the local veterinary community.
No official case numbers have been released, but veterinarians say the outbreak is serious enough to warrant immediate action from dog owners.
The virus poses the greatest threat to young puppies under 20 weeks old who have not been fully vaccinated.
Without treatment, they can become critically ill or die.
“So the worst ones that really, really suffer from it the most would be the young, naive puppies,” Reg Goh, a veterinarian at Forth Valley told Pulse.
“They get really flat, they have really, really nasty diarrhoea and they pretty much just lose all their nutrients and all their fluids in their body.”
Some dogs become septic and die if untreated, he said. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and loss of appetite.
The virus can survive in the environment for long periods and spreads easily through contaminated shoes, clothing or shared spaces – meaning dogs don’t need direct contact with infected animals to catch it.
“People go out and see other dogs that are infected and they get saliva or faecal material or urine on them and they go back to their puppy and … pass it on,” Goh said.
Veterinarians are urging dog owners to ensure vaccinations are up to date and to keep unvaccinated dogs away from public parks and dog areas.
“Vaccinations are usually the way to keep the infection numbers down,” Goh said.
Owners who notice symptoms in their dogs should contact their vet immediately.
