There has been an outbreak of the parvo virus in dogs. 
This highly contagious and often fatal disease causes vomiting and bloody diarrhea. 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 R2000 to R10 000, a clear case for prevention being better than cure.
