PET owners are being urged to vaccinate their dogs against a killer virus epidemic sweeping East Yorkshire. Charity PDSA is asking families to immunise animals against parvovirus, an illness which causes vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and in many cases death.
The group's Hull pet hospital has seen 150 cases so far this year, with almost half the infected dogs dying at home, in an isolation ward or having to be put down. It is highly contagious, but a vaccine can stop the disease in its tracks.
Helen Darnell, head nurse at the PDSA hospital in Hull's Brunswick Avenue, said: "It's very contagious, so it can easily be spread to other dogs. A lot of them do die. It's really, really bad. I think Hull is just a really bad area."
The PDSA has released a survey showing families in East Yorkshire are among the country's least likely to get their animals vaccinated. Its animal wellbeing report revealed the region was the UK's second-worst after the West Midlands.
More than a quarter of pets in the Humber have not received their primary vaccination course, five per cent below the UK average. Only 29 per cent of pets are insured – the country's lowest figure.
Vaccinations against the virus should be first given when the dogs are puppies and followed up yearly with an extra jab. The Hull PDSA hospital typically charges £35 for an initial course of injections and £28 for a booster, but sometimes runs special offers for owners. It also vaccinates cats against a form of flu, which can develop into fatal feline leukaemia.
Ms Darnell said: "We always promote vaccination, we can clearly see if a pet's been vaccinated or not, and if they're not, we do recommend vaccination. I've seen cases with vaccinated dogs, where they're showing signs of the virus but they've lived. Possibly, they can still get a mild case but it's definitely worth doing."
The PDSA Animal Wellbeing (Paw) Report has surveyed more than 17,000 pet owners, veterinary professionals and children in the last three years. It is the largest ongoing assessment of pet welfare ever undertaken.
Robin Hargreaves, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: "The Paw Report provides us with fantastic insight into people's awareness of their pets' needs. By tracking trends year-on-year, the Paw Report is also helping the veterinary profession to see where our initiatives have made an impact. But across a range of health and welfare issues, there is a huge amount more to do."
Canine parvovirus and cat flu cannot infect humans.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
