Residents with dogs are being urged to get on the front foot to protect their pooches and everyone else from parvovirus.
Reports from Perth of the dreaded, highly contagious illness that can be fatal to dogs led to Shire of Augusta-Margaret River rangers this week advising residents to take care.
Acting rangers co-ordinator Garth Baxter said long weekend travel plans needed to factor in the risk of the virus making the trek south as well.
“There’s a real risk of parvo spreading amongst our four-legged community,” he said.
“We really do need everyone to be vigilant in cleaning up after their dogs to minimise the dogs being exposed to infected faeces or the faeces infecting the soil.
“Make sure your dog’s vaccinations are up to date, and if you have a puppy, keep it isolated until properly vaccinated.”
The message was reiterated by acting shire president Tracey Muir.
“We all love our dogs,” she said.
“They’re part of our families. To keep them healthy, it’s essential we all do the right thing.”
Parvo is a gastrointestinal bug affecting all dogs, but was especially dangerous for unvaccinated dogs and puppies younger than four months old.
Symptoms included bloody diarrhoea, lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, dehydration and severe weight loss.
To reduce infection risks, owners were urged to practise good hygiene, clean up after dogs in public, and update vaccinations.