This highly contagious and often fatal disease causes vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. The virus has killed many dogs in the informal settlements and suburbs in the north of Randburg. A veterinary clinic in Bloubosrand is seeing new cases almost every day. Puppies must be vaccinated three times a month to be protected and any adult dog not vaccinated in the last year must get a booster vaccination.
The virus survives for up to six months in the environment and can be transmitted on objects touched by people who have touched sick dogs; therefore your animals can easily be infected by neighbours, visiting friends or workers coming onto your property.
Puppies under a year of age are most vulnerable with black and tan breeds such as Rottweiler’s being most genetically susceptible to fatalities. A vaccination costs around R300 whereas to treat a pup with the disease costs anything from
R2 000 to R10 000, a clear case for prevention being better than cure.
