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A head vet in South Yorkshire has warned animal lovers to be aware of increasing cases of serious diseases in dogs.

Potentially deadly but preventable illnesses such as parvo, leptospirosis and hepatitis could all be facing a resurgence because of dogs being unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated, the vet has warned.

Mihai Silion, head veterinary surgeon at the Pet Vet, Barnsley, has expressed that his “biggest fear” is that distemper, a virus that kills half of all dogs that it infects, could once again become common in the UK.

Mr Silion said: “Distemper attacks multiple organs in the body and can cause organ failure and brain damage in those who survive. Until the advent of vaccines in the 1950s, it was the leading infectious disease killer of dogs.”

South Yorkshire vet Mihai Silion is warning about unvaccinated dogs and fears over a rise in deadly diseases

One of the reasons for dogs not receiving their vaccinations is because of the effects of the lockdowns. Mr Silion said: “The number of dogs in the UK increased by up to two million during the pandemic, leading to acute shortages in vaccine availability in 2021 and the start of this year.

“This was problem enough for animals bought from reputable breeders who were upfront about vaccine delays. But many of these new dogs were bought from less reputable websites or even from social media posts, with new owners lied to about vaccine status.

“I've heard of cases of puppies being 'jobbed off' at bargain prices over social media, only for them to die from parvo a fortnight later. Devastating for their new owners, these unvaccinated animals, almost certainly originating on puppy farms, were also responsible for spreading the virus into the wider dog population.”

Another reason for the lack of dogs receiving their vaccinations is the cost of living crisis, the vet added, with pet owners among those becoming increasingly stretched with their finances.

A dog owner himself, Mr Silion said: “We are heading towards the eye of a perfect storm when it comes to preventable diseases in dogs.”

He has urged people of South Yorkshire to keep up to date with their dog vaccines to help keep diseases like distemper in the history books.

South Yorkshire vet warns of rise in cases of deadly diseases in dogs including parvo