Surveillance Operation

We have a new and valuable ally in protecting our pets' long-term health. Disease WatchDog is a national surveillance system for tracking and mapping communicable diseases in companion animals. In a world first, this system is used by local vets to record cases of disease in dogs and cats at suburb level.

Pet owners can access this information and take action to protect their animal’s health. Disease WatchDog founder, Dr Mark Kelman, Technical Services Manager for Virbac Animal Health says the system increases community awareness around preventable animal diseases. By informing the public on outbreaks in their local area, the spread of diseases such as the highly infectious Parvovirus can be reduced. The key is vaccination - one simple vaccination can save your animal’s life.

With fifty percent of Australia’s registered vet clinics currently participating in the program, Disease WatchDog has logged 11,814 cases of disease in Australia since its inception two years ago, including 3,968 cases of canine parvovirus. Other recorded diseases include canine cough, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, feline calcivirus and more.

A new website launched this year enables the public to monitor disease outbreaks. By logging on with your email address at www.diseasewatchdog.org  you can view maps of disease hotspots and access information on diseases.