Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Are you at risk of getting parvovirus from your dog?

PDSA Pet Hospitals in the UK are seeing nearly 1,500 cases of parvovirus each year.

Are you at risk of getting parvovirus from your dog?

Parvovirus, one of the most dangerous illnesses your pet dog can contract is still common among dogs in the UK. In fact, the leading vet charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Pet Hospitals is reportedly seeing nearly 1,500 cases of parvo each year.

The good news is you can protect your dog from the illness by regularly vaccinating them (right from six weeks old) but experts warn that you should still look out for signs of the disease, just in case.


The deadly virus is supposed to harm the gastrointestinal tract, making it difficult for a dog to absorb nutrients, the Mirror said.

The parvovirus is known to spread from dog to dog either by direct or indirect contact with their feces.

Though this illness is supposed to affect puppies more, dogs of any age can be affected with the parvovirus virus.

Worried pet parents should rest assured, as the disease is preventable (with vaccination) but if left untreated, cases of parvovirus can reach mortality rates of 91 per cent, the Mirror informs.

Some of the signs that your dog is infected with the parvovirus includes lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fever or low body temperature.

The parvovirus in humans is different than the one by the same name, found in dogs and cats. Humans get a different type: parvovirus B19, states Cleveland Clinic.

While parvovirus can be deadly for dogs, in humans, the parvovirus is spread from person to person and most often results in no symptoms or very mild symptoms.

Some of the symptoms can include headaches, upset stomach, swollen or painful joints, fatigue, and arthritis.

It is also known to cause fifth disease or “slapped cheek” disease, which is commonly seen in school-aged children, the Mirror reports.

According to Cleveland Clinic, between four to 14 days after your child is infected with parvovirus B19, you may see a pink or red rash on their chin and cheeks. This is rarely seen in adults.

Cleveland Clinic also informs that up to 50 per cent of adults and 85 per cent of older people in the US have had a parvovirus B19 infection and most of them have experienced zero or mild symptoms.

The human parvovirus is present in the nasal mucus, or saliva. It is spread through airborne droplets (when an infected person coughs or sneezes) or it may also spread through blood or contaminated blood products, Cleveland Clinic informs. Additionally, infected pregnant women can spread the virus to the fetus.

As the parvovirus that affects humans is different than the type of virus that affects dogs – the virus cannot be spread from pet to person.

More For You

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan floods

A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.

Getty

Pakistan reports 45 deaths from flash floods and rain in monsoon onset

AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Weather Alert: June Heatwave to Hit 34°C, Breaking Records

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record

iStock

UK set for one of the hottest June days with highs of 34°C

Key points

  • Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
  • Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
  • Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
  • Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler

Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.

Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Probing all angles in Air India crash, including sabotage: Minister

INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.

All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.

Keep ReadingShow less