#WisdomWednesday: Vaccinate your dog against incurable virus!
VIDEO: For this week's #WisdomWednesday, the Herald spoke to a Culemborg Park veterinarian about the Distemper virus outbreak in Tshwane and why you should vaccinate your dog today.
Dog owners on the West Rand have been encouraged to vaccinate their dogs against the Distemper virus immediately.
The warning comes after the Tshwane SPCA confirmed that they have been battling a potentially serious Canine Distemper outbreak at their Waltloo branch on Wednesday, 23 January.
According to the official Tshwane SPCA website [https://spcapta.org.za/] “Distemper is a serious airborne virus that spreads rapidly, and there is no cure. Symptoms often take time to manifest and dogs may initially appear healthy, only to become sick later. The first signs of Distemper include sneezing, coughing and thick mucous coming from the eyes and nose. Fever, lethargy, sudden vomiting, diarrhoea and loss of appetite are also common symptoms of the virus.”
Read more about the virus here [https://spcapta.org.za/canine-distemper/]
Dr Elizna Boag, the business unit manager, Companion Animals and Ethicals at Afrivet, released a statement earlier this week, saying, “Dog owners should know that because distemper is a viral disease and the animal’s immune system has to fight it unaided, veterinarians can only provide supportive treatment once the dog has been diagnosed as having contracted distemper. An estimated 50 per cent of adult dogs and 80 per cent of puppies will succumb to the disease. Vaccination is the only way to prevent the disease.”
Lorika Boshoff, chairperson of Rand West SPCA added, “This is a very dangerous virus among dogs, therefore, we urge people to take their dogs for vaccination as a precautionary measure. People should take their dogs to their local veterinary clinics, as we do not do vaccinations.”
The Herald has since spoken to Dr Doret du Plessis of the Culemborg Park Veterinary Clinic about the virus:
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