A woman from Lancashire has warned dog owners of a deadly canine disease after her pet has contracted the potentially fatal infection.
Amy Riley, 25, believes her pup Cookie caught parvovirus earlier this month after taking the six-month-old dog for a walk in her hometown of Darwen.
Cookie first started displaying symptoms on Monday, June 12 when she started vomiting, which vets initially thought was a stomach issue. Amy was sent home with antibiotics to give to Cookie, but she deteriorated on the same night.
Two days later, the vets accepted £100 as a deposit so she could get treatment for parvovirus until Amy can provide the remaining funds at a later date.
Amy has opened up about how her pet became "so weak" due to the symptoms of parvovirus and has issued a plea to dog owners in the area to be careful, Lancashire Telegraph reports.
She said: "I took her for a walk around the streets where I live. She is usually only in my back garden as it is quite a large garden but on this day I took her around the block.
"It is my biggest regret because this is the only place she could have picked up the virus.
"She first visited the vets as she was vomiting and this was out of character for her. The vets said she had gastritis and sold me anti-sickness medication and diarrhoea medication."
It is the second case of parvovirus in the town after a cockador, cocker spaniel mixed with labrador, fell ill after potentially catching on playing fields.
Amy said her pet's condition continued to worsen before experts said it appeared she had parvovirus and needed to be admitted.
The mum-of-one has set up a fundraising page to help pay for Cookie's vet bills. She has already paid £1,000 for the huge fees - aiming to raise a further £4,000 - and she said that Cookie still isn't out of the woods just yet.
She added that Cookie is still 'very poorly' and on medication.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "Parvovirus is a highly infectious disease in which the virus attacks cells in the dog’s intestines and stops them being able to absorb the vital nutrients they need.
"It quickly causes them to become weak and can prove fatal, particularly in puppies.
"Haemorrhagic diarrhoea can come on suddenly and causes vomiting and bloody diarrhoea.
"We would encourage owners to ensure their pets are vaccinated to help avoid the heartbreak of losing a much-loved pet to this awful disease."
A link to Amy's GoFundMe can be found here.
