A vet is urging dog owners to be alert after one puppy died and two others became seriously ill with a disease preventable by inoculation.

Laurence Doddy, who co-owns Shipley and Idle Veterinary Centre with his wife Victoria Foster, treated the three unrelated cases of Parvo Virus - a disease which wrecks the immune system and causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

Mr Doddy said two vaccinations done a few weeks apart, when puppies are about two months old, could mean the difference between life and death.

Parvo virus, which is highly contagious, usually kills its victims.

Mr Doddy said he had not seen any cases of the disease until the last few months. And he warned that owners neglecting to vaccinate their pets would risk starting a spate of cases.

"You can get little mini-outbreaks of diseases," he said.

Sadly it was too late for the young collie puppy brought into the surgery earlier this year. He died within 24 hours of being taken in for treatment.

But there was a ray of hope for Woody, the German short-haired pointer.

Woody's owner Roger Jeffrey of Thackley View, Thackley, said he had not realised the seriousness of their puppy's illness.

"We just thought he had a stomach upset or had just eaten something," said the father-of-three.

Woody was kept in isolation for seven days and visitors had to disinfect their feet and take a change of clothes after visiting the ten-month-old pup.

"We didn't think he was going to make it. He lost so much weight, you could see all his ribs and bones and his face was gaunt," said Mr Jeffrey.

The housing manager said Woody was now on the mend, but said it had been a worrying time.

But Mr Doddy believed Woody had come down with the disease because his two vaccinations were done using different brands of the drug, meaning its impact was not as strong.

The third puppy, a ten-week old cocker spaniel that was waiting for his second vaccination, was also desperately ill with the disease.

Fortunately the initial injection provided the pup with enough power to fight off the virus.