Dog owners in Canberra have been urged to make sure their pets are vaccinated after an outbreak of the highly contagious canine parvovirus across the border in Queanbeyan.
The concerns follow the closure of the dog pound in Queanbeyan because of an outbreak of canine parvovirus there. All 21 dogs were put down.
"The disease came to the facility through a surrendered dog, which means parvovirus is in the community," a spokesperson for Queanbeyan-Pelarang council said.
"We would like to remind the community that canine parvovirus is a very serious disease.
"While we had initially intended to have the facility closed for at least two weeks, the animal management facility will be closed to the public until further notice.
"This will allow us to conduct a deep clean of the whole facility, to prevent future contamination from this incident. While canine parvovirus is not an airborne virus, nor travels through soil, the deep clean includes removing contaminated soil from the facility, alongside the simpler task of cleaning all hard surfaces."
Canine parvovirus can spread to dogs through contact with an infected dog's faeces or vomit, or indirectly through contact with infected items such as water bowls and collars. Symptoms include extreme vomiting and diarrhoea.
It's not clear whether the outbreak has spread far in Queanbeyan. West Queanbeyan Veterinary Hospital declined to comment on the impact in the wider area.
In the ACT, dog owners were urged to make sure vaccinations were up to date.
Normally puppies are vaccinated after six to eight weeks, with boosters one and two months later.
But the vaccination does need to be renewed through a dog's life, Candice Evans, a vet at the Animal Referral Hospital, said.
Dr Evans said that puppy owners should make sure their unvaccinated pets didn't interact with unvaccinated dogs.
"Puppies, unvaccinated dogs, and incompletely vaccinated dogs should be restricted from public outdoor areas and interacting with dogs of unknown vaccination status until they are fully vaccinated," Sarah Zito, senior scientific officer at RSPCA Australia, said.
Part of the reason for the spread in Queanbeyan was the lack of isolation of dogs when they arrive.
The RSPCA's pound in Canberra does not have that situation. It has an isolation unit so any infected dog is kept alone until any infectious illness can be diagnosed. If a dog is detected with the virus, it is put down.
"RSPCA ACT has robust protocols, and every animal is checked upon arrival," Michelle Robertson, the chief executive of RSPCA ACT, said.
The RSPCA recommends three important vaccinations: "For dogs, the core vaccines protect against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, and canine parvovirus. They are usually combined within a single vaccine commonly known in Australia as the C3 vaccine."
"The best practical advice I can give is just be cautious about where you take your puppy until all of those vaccinations have been administered, which is usually up to about six months of age," the RSPCA's ACT head said.
"Our hearts go out to the people at the Queanbeyan Pound, what an awful thing to experience and we're sending our love."
- On Friday and Saturday, the RSPCA in Canberra is holding an event to offer virus-free, vaccinated dogs, cats and other animals for adoption at cut-price rates. Fees will be $50 for all adult dogs and cats (aged over six months), while rabbits will be $20. It aims to free space in its shelter "to allow RSPCA ACT staff and volunteers to help more animals in need in the community".
