Has anyone heard anything about this? Friend who lives locally heard it on the news last week but has heard no more since

There is a bit of info here.  A call to your local vet might glean some information about which areas might be best to avoid.

took my dog to the vets this morning, and during the 2 hour wait (rediculous i know) i was reading the posters and theres an outbreak round here as well (coventry). 6 cases to that individual vet in the last 2 weeks

I was talking to the practice manager at our vets only the other day and she said there hadn't been an outbreak of parvo in this area (coventry) for years!!
What vet do you go to?

This seems to happen quite often. Don't know if vets don't communicate but you'd think they would. Last time we had cases of Parvo up here 2 other local vets knew nothing about it

From what I can make out there's a lot of secrecy between vets, and a marked reluctance to communicate between different practices in the same local area. I suppose it'd be like local grocers sharing trade information between themselves; they are private businesses in direct competition, after all.

Shame that business comes before animal welfare as you're now finding with your inside knowledge JG  - but then that's what some of have been saying for a long time! :(

It could also make vets more likely to treat each case they see as an individual rather than assuming it's a particular condition because they've heard "there's a lot of it about" and miss something else.

Parvo is a very specific illness which, if appropriate medication is promptly administered, is treatable, although I have not heard of any confirmed cases for a l o n g time.  If Parvo was confirmed, then I would consider it a responsible action to share the information with all Vets in the area so that they would be aware and not use their usual 'let's try this and bring him back if he doesn't get better' approach, and put animal welfare before practice interest.  As you are finding, personal/practice welfare tends to come first.  After all, with many practices in close proximity, competition is important and bills have to be paid, as with all of us.

Could also perhaps be that these aren't confirmed cases of parvo?  The word does seem to be bandied about a lot when there are parvo type illnesses.

Exactly right.  My local paper in Berkshire used to be given info annual by one Vet in the area, about a 'parvo type' illness in the area, which had the effect of all the local pet owners rushing to the surgery to ask if they needed a Parvo booster! :(  I would ring the surgery each time so that I could advise my grooming clients accordingly and never had any of the cases been confirmed - just 'parvo type' symptoms.

That's very possible.

Are there many 'notifiable' diseases in the animal world? I know of the obvious of course like foot and mouth but what else is deemed important enough?
Karen

I was wondering myself if it was confirmed Parvo. Really shocked that vets don't share info on things like Parvo

I personally think there should be a public database of all confirmed cases of diseases like parvo, distemper, hepatitis and lepto, by area, then people wouldn't have to rely on vets sharing this information, they could just look it up for themselves.

Great idea, I agree with a public database of confirmed cases of these diseases as you suggest Annie!
Wonder why that has happened, it seems so logical?

Did you mean 'why that hasn't happened' Maria? :)  Don't know, I suppose someone would have to make an effort and don't see why they should! :D  Also, haven't you noticed that very few 'logical' things happen in the UK these days? ;)  Probably the best people to keep it up to date would be the people doing the lab tests I would think.

Yes sorry Annie, why it hasn't happened!!

It would be a good idea if vets were obliged to report these diseases onto a database, and as you suggested made easily accessible on the internet!

thats a bit odd, vaccination clinic in radford
sorry, went in wrong place

We definitely have an outbreak in Derbyshire. There have been reports in our local paper (Derby Evening Telegraph) & tonight on our local 'East Midlands News', there has also been warnings that Parvo is spreading in the area. The vet on the tv news report is blaming dogs that have not been vaccinated. Apparently lots of dogs are still becoming very poorly even though they have been vaccinated. It is worrying.

Have they said that any cases were confirmed or just had a Vet say that there is parvo in the area?

My brother is a police officer in Norwich and they have been notified that there are 7 i think he said, confirmed cases in the last week or so.

hi were in the derbyshire/Notts borders and have been told through our ringcrafts that there is anywhere upto 30 case at notts pdsa and about 10 cases we know of locally all confirmed as parvo also a rather nasty gastric virus about too.....this is all very worrying for us

i think they were confirmed cases. my next door neighbour doesnt believe in vaccinating their dog and he became very poorly with a gastric infection and was put on a drip for 3 days, i didnt think he would come home, but he did at the weekend. but they stil wont vaccinate, some people r so silly and irresponsible