Companion Animal Welfare

Dog Welfare and Canine Parvovirus Prevention

Canine parvovirus causes fatal haemorrhagic enteritis in unvaccinated dogs. It is entirely preventable through vaccination and causes immense suffering before death.

Key Facts

Parvovirus has an environmental stability of months to years in soil and surfaces
Unvaccinated puppies are at highest risk and have mortality rates of 50-90% without treatment
Clinical signs include profuse bloody diarrhoea, vomiting and rapid dehydration
Intensive veterinary care with IV fluids improves survival rates significantly
Vaccination from six weeks with appropriate boosters provides reliable long-term protection

Welfare Considerations

Parvovirus causes one of the most distressing and painful deaths in companion animals. As a fully preventable disease, unvaccinated status represents a preventable welfare failure.

What You Can Do

Keep puppies fully vaccinated against parvovirus from six weeks of age
Avoid taking unvaccinated puppies to public spaces where infected dogs may have been
Support low-cost vaccination programmes in underserved communities