A veterinary nurse in Sandbach has urged dog owners to ensure their puppies are vaccinated after her own had a week-long battle with parvovirus.

The warning comes amid fears of a possible surge in the life-threatening disease among the increased number of puppies bought during the pandemic.

Cathy, who works at Cheshire Pets in Elworth and Winterley, spotted the signs in her nearly 10 weeks old black Labrador Retriever puppy called Paisley early on.

She told Sandbach Nub News: "I think a lot of people associate parvovirus with puppy farms or they don't know what it is. She was fine when I got her and after around 12 days, I noticed she went off her food in the morning and had a little vomit.

"Me, being overly paranoid, took a swab to do an initial test for [parvovirus] and it came back positive. She was still quite bright but when we usually see them in the clinic they're already quite lethargic and quite poorly."

Paisley responded well to the treatment initially, but after three days, she took a turn for the worse and needed to be referred for around the clock intensive care in Derby.

"I stepped back from being a nurse to being an owner," Cathy said.

The team at Pride Vets in Derby was led by Tiago Henriques, a Resident in Internal Medicine.

"Paisley was very ill when she came in and I was concerned that we might not be able to save her," said Tiago.

"We had to continue with the supportive treatment she had already had, put her on a feeding tube and give her anti-nausea medication to stop her being sick.

"We monitored her 24 hours-a-day in our intensive care unit and it was about five days before, happily, we saw real signs that she was going to be okay."

The lifesaving treatment at the veterinary hospital was boosted by the fact Paisley had already been given some protection by having her first parvovirus vaccination.

Paisley was at the clinic for close to a week before becoming well enough to travel home.

Paisley was only two days short of being able to have her second parvovirus jab which would have strengthened her immunity.

"Now he's a bright, healthy six months old," Cathy said.

It remains unclear how exactly Paisley caught the virus as Cathy took all of the necessary precautions.

She said: "We hadn't had any puppies in the clinic with it and we hadn't had contact with anyone. Adult dogs can shed it and be perfectly well and healthy themselves.

"As it's something they shed, it can live in the environment for years, so even though I was careful about changing my clothes, she was still able to pick it up, unfortunately."

Research by pet emergency service, Vets Now, showed a 129 per cent increase in suspected cases of parvovirus in the first three months of 2021, compared with the same period last year.

Tiago said: "It's really disturbing to see so many puppies being left unprotected and we are encouraging pet owners to keep up to date with dog vaccinations."

Puppies can get their first dose of the parvovirus vaccine at six weeks and the second at 10 weeks.

Cathy urged anyone who is getting a puppy to thoroughly research the breeder and take the necessary precautions when they take it home.

"Although you're not supposed to take them on walks, it can be something as simple as you walking down the street and picking up the virus on your shoe and taking it into the house," she added.

Cathy also stressed the importance of early diagnosis for the virus, saying: "Alongside vaccines, early diagnosis and treatment is vital. So taking the puppies to the vet for a test as soon as any signs are first seen (lethargy, inappetence, vomiting, or diarrhoea) gives the puppy the best chance of survival.

"I believe that if Paisley had not had both of these things in her favour, then we would not have had the same outcome."