Owners put dogs at risk

11:35am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A KNUTSFORD vet says pet owners' refusal to vaccinate their dogs is causing the rise of a life-threatening disease.

Ian Hopkins, from Holly House Veterinary Surgery, warned his industry collegues about canine parvovirus at a conference in Birmingham.

"It's the biggest life-threatening disease in young dogs," he said.

He is worried the disease is becoming more common in the area because pet owners are refusing to have their dogs vaccinated. "The concern now is that vaccinations are going to cause harm," he said.

"Some people are saying we don't need vaccinations anymore."

Vets often misdiagnose the disease which destroys the gut and causes severe sickness and diarrhoea.

In the worst cases the dog can die within 48 or 72 hours without treatment.

"The medication is a bit expensive so a lot of practices aren't using it early enough in the disease," he said. "They'll wait to see if the dog improves before using drugs."

The conference is renowned as the biggest veterinary event outside America.

Mr Hopkins, 39, was asked to speak on the subject because of his expertise in digestive disorders.

The disease is putting financial strain on local vets who cannot afford the expensive medication and nursing costs.

"It is a big issue for a lot of rescue centres because they haven't got the funds in place to nurse some of these patients," he said.