Companion Animals

Dog Parvovirus: Vaccination and Outbreak Prevention

Canine parvovirus causes severe haemorrhagic diarrhoea and is often fatal in unvaccinated dogs, but is entirely preventable through vaccination.

Key Facts

Parvovirus is highly stable in the environment, surviving for months on surfaces
Mortality from untreated parvovirus can exceed 90% in unvaccinated puppies
Vaccination provides reliable protection from 10-12 weeks after completing the primary course
Outbreaks occur in areas with low vaccination coverage creating herd immunity gaps

Welfare Considerations

Parvovirus causes severe abdominal pain, profuse bloody diarrhoea, and rapid death in unvaccinated dogs. Treatment is intensive and costly. Vaccination is cheap, highly effective, and entirely prevents this dreadful disease. Low vaccination rates create community-level welfare risk.

What You Can Do

Vaccinate all dogs and ensure timely boosters to maintain parvovirus protection
Avoid high-risk environments until puppies complete their primary vaccination course
Support low-cost vaccination clinics for dogs owned by people facing financial hardship