File photo. Photo: 123rf
Auckland is facing a canine parvovirus outbreak, as the city continues to grapple with the post-Covid surge in puppy numbers, which vets say is contributing to the spread of the virus.
The virus, which can survive in environments from months and even up to years, can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea, and fatigue, and can often be fatal for unvaccinated dogs.
Warmer temperatures exacerbate the spread, and some vets say they are seeing more cases in a week than they usually do in an entire summer season.
Māngere Veterinary Clinic manager Rachel said calls for help for dogs with suspected parvovirus have been coming in for the past eight weeks, since the weather warmed up.
"There is more this year, and the strain of parvovirus seems to be particularly aggressive, the animals can die very quickly," she said.
Rachel said this year they were seeing less than 50 percent chance of survival for the animals.
She said they received phone 20 to 30 calls a day seeking help, but attended to about six to eight cases of parvovirus daily, as many owners could not afford treatment.
Rachel said the previous Covid lockdowns had seen increasing numbers of dogs that had not been desexed or vaccinated, now fuelling the spread of the virus.
"If they can't afford to get their dogs desexed or find a vet clinic that has time to do it, because we're all fully booked all the time, then you're going to have a whole lot of puppies which they can't afford to vaccinate as well," she said.
Auckland Council figures show that the number of dogs in the city has increased by about 15 percent since 2019, from 110,969 to 128,645.
Council said there could also be upto 70,000 unregistered dogs living in the supercity.
The New Zealand Veterinary Association said the increase in unwanted litters throughout and post-Covid had led to increasing numbers of unvaccinated dogs - many of which are free to roam, which increases the spread of parvovirus.
It said many people facing the cost of living pressures may also have skipped routine vaccinations for their pets.
Meanwhile, Lynfield Vets have been seeing about six cases in a week, compared to one or two in a season in previous years.
Lynfield Vets director Dr Jolin Chia said many owners could not afford treatment.
"It can be over $1000 a day if you're doing intensive care, and that doesn't even guarantee that the dog will survive," she said.
Dr Chia said there was a lack of awareness about vaccinations, and she had also seen a dog with parvovirus whose owner did not vaccinate it because of anti-vax views.
Her clinic is raising awareness about the risk of parvovirus on social media and trying to dispel misinformation about the vaccine.
"Hopefully it'll just get people to vaccinate more, we know the vaccine works, and the most important thing is to get the full set of puppy vaccinations and have that final core vaccine done at sixteen weeks or older to guarantee that immunity," she said.
SPCA's general manager for animal services Dr Corey Regnerus-Kell said this is one of the worst outbreaks Auckland has and resources were being stretched.
Regnerus-Kell said one of the major trends the charity was seeing was dog owners who were unable to afford vaccinations or treatment for their sick pets, amidst cost of living pressures.
"The majority of the calls we're receiving are for financial assistance to help treat dogs or puppies infected with parvo, which can be costly.
"We are also seeing an alarming number of cases where dogs are being left untreated and are suffering dearly as a result," he said.
Parvovirus cases in Hawke's Bay
The SPCA said it had also been seeing stray dogs with parvovirus coming through their shelters, particularly in the Hawke's Bay region.
It said it had to euthanise some of the puppies due to the severity of their symptoms and to protect other vulnerable puppies at its centres.
The SPCA is reminding owners to vaccinate their dogs.
"Puppies require a series of vaccinations before they can be fully protected from the virus, and access to public places where there is no control, or no understanding of the risk should be avoided until this time,
"Adult dogs are also susceptible and require regular booster vaccination for parvovirus from your veterinarian," it said in a statement.