A woman has been left heartbroken after her beloved dog died from a deadly canine virus that’s reportedly spreading across the UK.
Fran Read’s young Cocker Spaniel, called Boo, died of parvovirus after falling seriously ill earlier this month.
The three-month-old dog became so sick she was unable to stay with Fran.
Fran said: “She was just too poorly to stay with me, but we had the best few weeks of love and cuddles.
“Her short life was happy and I loved her so much.”
Fran had to take Boo to several vets’ appointments and overnight trips before she was eventually diagnosed with the virus and from there, her condition deteriorated rapidly.
After her tragic death, Fran is now urging all dog owners to keep up with their pet’s vaccinations.
Fran’s other dog was thankfully unaffected by the virus.
It comes after vets have reportedly seen an increase in the number of Parvovirus cases in dogs across the UK.
The virus can be deadly and is highly contagious, spreading through dogs between their bodily fluids, including poo and vomit.
Luckily, most dogs who catch the virus recover without falling seriously ill.
The virus works by infecting the cells lining the intestines.
It prevents the absorption of nutrients and causes inflammation and death of the cells here.
Then, inflammation of the gut allows bacteria to enter the blood and cause a secondary sepsis.
Symptoms of Parvovirus include a loss of appetite, followed by diarrhoea which can become foul smelling and even contain blood.
Puppies and dogs that haven’t been vaccinated or boosted are the most susceptible to Parvovirus.
Despite being deadly, parvovirus has a vaccine which dogs can get when they are young.
They can get their first jab around eight weeks old, and then the second two-to-four weeks later.
As they become adult dogs, often they get another jab around six or 12 months.
