An annual dog show on Tooting Common has been cancelled over fears of a highly infectious virus.

Friends of Tooting Common (FOTC) had planned the dog show for September 11, however, with there being reports of cases of parvovirus among dogs that use the common, the group has decided not to host the event on this date.

FOTC has said that it will look into the prospect of rescheduling the dog show, providing that there were no more cases of parvovirus.

The chair of the group, Peter Ramell, posted on its Facebook page confirming the event's cancellation and telling people to look out for further updates.

He said: "Just as confirmation: Friends of Tooting Common had been provisionally planning to run our annual Fun Dog Show on Saturday 11 September. However because of reports of some recent cases of parvovirus among dogs who use Tooting Common, we have regretfully concluded that it would not be advisable to run the show then, given the risk of infection with a number of dogs meeting together.

"We have therefore decided not to hold the show on 11 September. We are considering whether to seek to hold it later in the year, but would not run it if there were further cases of parvovirus. We will of course keep people informed.

"We are sorry that we are not able to run the show on 11 September. It is a very enjoyable and well-attended annual event. However, as above it would clearly not be advisable to run it at present."

What is parvovirus

Parvovirus, otherwise known as 'parvo', is a highly infectious disease that can be fatal. Many dogs who are diagnosed with parvo will die.

The virus attacks cells in a dog's intestines and stops them from being able to absorb vital nutrients. This means that a dog or puppy will become very weak and dehydrated.

It is also known as canine parvovirus or CPV.

Symptoms

Symptoms of parvo include foul-smelling diarrhoea with blood in it, vomiting, loss of appetite, collapse, depression, fever and sudden death.

Who is at risk?

Young puppies and unvaccinated dogs, including those who have not had their booster injections, are most at risk from becoming victims of parvo.

Puppies go downhill very quickly because the symptoms caused by parvovirus make them very weak, and mean their immune systems have to work very hard to fight the disease. Youngsters between six weeks and six months old are also more susceptible to secondary infections, or they may die from dehydration.

Is parvovirus contagious to other dogs?

Parvo is highly contagious to other dogs and spreads very easily to dogs that haven't been vaccinated.

It takes up to seven days for a dog to show signs of having parvovirus after they have caught it.

Parvovirus spreads through body fluids, including poo and vomit. The virus is hardy and can survive in the environment outside the body - such as grass in the park - for at least six months. Your dog can even contract it by sniffing another dog's poo and it's not uncommon for dogs to catch parvo when out for a walk.

It is really important to protect your dog against this horrible disease by vaccinating them, which can be done after they are six weeks old.

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