Parvo outbreak ‘worst in 20 years’

The SPCA says dogs in Auckland are suffering the worst outbreak of parvovirus in 20 years and ‘‘the bodies are piling up’’. It has encouraged dog owners to book vaccination appointments early as vet clinics struggle to keep up with a backlog that has persisted since lockdown. Parvovirus is an extremely contagious virus that affects dogs, attacking cells in their digestive system, causing vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. SPCA inspector Georgina Higgins said Auckland had been experiencing ‘‘the worst parvovirus outbreak in 20 years’’. Higgins has been responding to cases daily. The likelihood of a dog surviving parvovirus without intervention is 10 per cent but its chances only improve to about 20 per cent with treatment.