Florida, Escambia County - Officials Say Canine Respiratory Disease On The Rise / Update - Distemper

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Is Your Dog Sick? County Officials Say Canine Respiratory Disease On The Rise

March 5, 2010


Escambia County officials said Thursday that there is an increase in canine respiratory infections within the animal shelter ? and likely throughout the county.

Because the animal shelter has contact with a broad variety of animals from vast medical histories and backgrounds, community illness trends commonly occur in shelter environments prior to the public noticing the signs, said a county news release.

?Pet owners should look for signs similar to a cold; runny nose, sneezing, lethargy or coughing,? said Dr. Cliff Owen, staff veterinarian. ?These signs can be early indicators of many different illnesses. Should these symptoms become apparent, contact your veterinarian.?

Although the exact cause of the illness has not been detected, Escambia County Animal Services is working with Schering-Plough Animal Health with vaccinations as well as testing. As a precaution the animal shelter has strongly increased their infectious control techniques, as well as vaccinations on advice of the shelter veterinarians. Shelter officials are advising residents to ensure all pet vaccinations are current.

http://www.northescambia.com/?p=15125

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Re: Florida, Escambia County - Is Your Dog Sick? County Officials Say Canine Respiratory Disease On The Rise

WEAR 3 NEWS TOP STORIES VIDEO

ESCAMBIA COUNTY - The Escambia County Animal Shelter will not be adopting out dogs until March 16th.

There's been an outbreak of respiratory illness in the shelter -- and staff veterinarians need time to test and evaluate the animals.

Also, the shelter is suspending spay and neutering services until April.


VIDEO link:

http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_7148.shtml

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Re: Florida, Escambia County - Officials Say Canine Respiratory Disease On The Rise / Update - Distemper

ESCAMBIA COUNTY- Escambia County Animal Control Workers say they're dealing with a dog disease outbreak called Distemper.

It's deadly and very contagious.

Workers believe they've seen at least 66 dogs with the disease since Febuary.

Those dogs were euthanized.

They are now in the process of containing the spread of Distemper by isolating dogs that are showing symptoms.

You won't be able to adopt a dog here at the Animal Shelter this week. Workers here are dealing with a deadly and very contagious k-9 disease.

These dogs won't be available for adoption for at least a week...

Vets are vaccinating and monitoring them for Distemper.

They say the disease is passed through the air... The same way humans catch colds.

Distemper starts as a respiratory infection, but then can become deadly in about a month.
...

Entire article and video at:

http://www.weartv.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wear_vid_7173.shtml

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Re: Florida, Escambia County - Officials Say Canine Respiratory Disease On The Rise / Update - Distemper

Distemper kills over 80 shelter dogs

Deadly virus under control, shelter back open

Updated: Tuesday, 23 Mar 2010, 6:19 PM CDT

Published : Tuesday, 23 Mar 2010, 6:16 PM CDTChristina Leavenworth
Photojournalist: Eric Lowe

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WALA) - The Escambia County Animal Shelter is open Tuesday, after being closed for two weeks due to a distemper outbreak. The deadly virus is very contagious.

Hermelita DeGuzman has been calling the shelter for the past two weeks, waiting for it to open back up.

"I always want me a dog, a friendly dog," said DeGuzman.

Authorities said the phones have been ringing off the hook because the shelter was shut down for two weeks. They had to put down more than 80 dogs, and couldn't adopt any out.

"Dogs never stop coming into a shelter and there's only so much space," said Shelter Director Dusty Clements.

Clements said through rescue organizations, they were able to make enough room to take in the dogs, and protect the others. He said now every dog available for adoption is safe, and folks aren't shying away from adopting them.

"Considering we just had a distemper outbreak, and in the first hour we had three go out, that's pretty good," said Clements.

Most of the dogs still here were here during the distemper outbreak, but because of new procedures, they were able to save half of them at the shelter.

"Fortunately we have vets here, we did some isolation, infectious control techniques, tried to isolate as many as we could. Fortunately, we didn't have to put down as many as we anticipated," Clements added.

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More at:

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/distemper-kills-over-80-shelter-dogs