New dog owner angry about disease

Ra McRoberts in her Dunedin home with her sick dog Sapphire. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Ra McRoberts in her Dunedin home with her sick dog Sapphire. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
That she was able to adopt a puppy with a highly contagious and lethal disease from the Dunedin City Council has disgusted the pup's new owner and left her with an expensive vet bill.

Former vet nurse Ra McRoberts, of Dunedin, said she paid $140 to buy puppy Sapphire from the council.

Sapphire was a 6-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier and mastiff cross.

She ended up in the pound after being hit by a car in Mornington.

Miss McRoberts said she adopted Sapphire last Friday and the pup was timid and malnourished.

On Sunday, Sapphire stopped eating and the next day her vet confirmed Sapphire had parvovirus.

Her vet, Dr Marcus Wells, of Vets at St Clair, told her treatment would cost between $1000 and $2000.

She had spent $500 already and to save money was continuing treatment at home with Sapphire on an intravenous drip, she said.

She called council senior animal control officer Peter Hanlin on Tuesday and he refused to accept any responsibility for the dog's sickness, she said.

''I think it's disgusting,'' Miss McRoberts said.

Although she had signed a disclaimer to take full responsibility for the puppy, the council should test dogs for parvovirus before adopting them out.

Mr Hanlin said Sapphire was impounded on October 9 and held for nine days before adoption.

At the pound, Sapphire exhibited normal puppy behaviour, he said.

''She was still eating and her stools were solid.''

If an impounded dog appeared healthy, it was not given a routine health check, he said.

''It would be an added cost that would need to be offset somewhere. I don't see the need for testing seemingly healthy dogs.''

If Sapphire had vomited or had diarrhoea she would have been checked for disease, he said.

If council staff knew the dog was diseased, she would not have been adopted out.

The council had a ''stringent'' preventive measures to try to stop the disease entering the pound and had no plans to refund Miss McRoberts her adoption cost or help with her vet bill.

''She signed a waiver for any comeback to the council for any medical expenses incurred. I'm not saying we are totally heartless. Perhaps if the dog had not survived, we would consider refunding the money.''

Dr Wells said he saw Sapphire on Monday and confirmed she had parvovirus.

The disease would not manifest itself so quickly in Sapphire had it been contracted under Miss McRobert's care, he said.

''The clinical signs [are] highly suggestive it had contracted the virus prior to it being homed with Ra.''

When symptoms of the disease appeared, a test of a faecal sample would reveal if the dog had parvovirus, but if the disease was incubating, it was more difficult to detect.

''You can't determine they've got it until the virus has been replicated to a point it can be detected.''

Parvovirus was more prevalent in lower socio-economic areas and rural areas because fewer people vaccinated their dogs, Dr Wells said.

A puppy should get its first vaccination for parvovirus at the age of 6 weeks, he said.

If a dog had the disease and was untreated, the virus would pop the cells of the stomach lining and blood would leak in the stomach, causing the dog to die from dehydration, he said.

''It does have a frighteningly high mortality rate.''

If Sapphire survived the next fortnight, she would be all right, he said.

''Hopefully, she'll pull through,'' Dr Wells said.

shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz

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