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Berrien County Sees An Increase In Canine Distemper Cases Among Mystery Dog Respiratory Illness

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. --The Berrien County Health Department is warning pet owners to keep an eye out for symptoms of canine distemper, with a significant increase in cases.

While it can be preventable, canine distemper is considered a highly contagious, incurable and deadly disease caused by an airborne virus.

"I've been in practice for 13 years and this is the first time I'm seeing confirmed positive cases of distemper. The fact that there was an outbreak in Berrien County is something that people should be aware of," veterinarian and owner of Arrow Pet Clinic Dr. Kristyn Hunter said.

Some of the symptoms that pet owners should look out for include coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, thick yellow discharge from the eyes and nose and seizures. It is common among young dogs or dogs that have not fully developed an immune system.

The virus is spread through close contact with infected animals through respiratory droplets or contact through food bowls, toys or any objects that were contaminated by infected animals.

Dr. Hunter says the best way to prevent it is to make sure your animals are up to date on their vaccinations.

It is recommended dogs get a distemper vaccination once a year for their first two years and then every three years.

"We certainly don't want to cause mass panic. Chances are older dogs can come in contact with illnesses and be able to fight it off if they have a full immune response and a healthy immune response. I don't want every pet parent with their coughing dog to panic and rush to their pets to the vets or ER. But I do think you should be aware if your pet is showing any symptoms of illness to be conscious that it might be contagious and that don't bring them to holiday parties or dog parks, things like that. Just like you would keep a sick kid home from school," Dr. Hunter said.

This comes after at least 16 states have an outbreak of what they are calling a mystery respiratory illness in dogs.

Dr. Hunter says the illness presents a lot like kennel cough. Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, lethargy and loss of appetite are some of the symptoms. In some cases, it can lead to pneumonia and potentially be deadly.

What's causing the illness is unknown. Because of this, she says it makes treatment a little difficult as dogs are not responding to traditional therapy and medicine that's used to treat kennel cough.

If your dog develops a cough, do not panic, Dr. Hunter advises. But stay mindful about its progression and your pet's overall health, she says.

One way to prevent the illness, she says, is to keep dogs away from areas where they're likely to come in contact with other dogs like dog parks and nose-to-nose street greetings.

"If you have questions or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to your veterinarian. Most of us are doing all that we can to collect the information and stay up to date on things. It's really easy to go down the rabbit hole of the internet and get concerned or false information. If you're ever wondering what's going on, just touch base with your veterinarian. They're going to give you the most up to date information and what's most applicable for your pet," Dr. Hunter said.

A Free Way To Keep Your Dog Safe From Parvovirus, Offered By City Of Rochester

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We've told you about the parvovirus outbreak at Rochester Animal Services that killed 11 dogs.

Now the City of Rochester is offering options for people to protect their pets.

The city is putting on a free parvovirus and distemper vaccine clinic for dog owners who live in the city. News10NBC caught up with a few of them today.

"There's parvo out in the environment, and most of the time it ends up being fatal. And if you are going to treat it, it's very lengthy, intensive and very expensive to treat," Amy Bianchi, community outreach coordinator for Rochester Animal Services, said.

Midnight is one of the many pooches who came to the clinic to get vaccinated. Owner Rebecca Sniatecki brought in Midnight after hearing that her neighbor's dog contracted parvo.

"So recently, one of our neighbors had a dog that passed away from parvo about a year ago. So just to make sure she's safe and doesn't, you know, catch it herself or pass it off to someone else, we'd rather just get the shot when it's offered, especially for free," Sniatecki said.

The vaccines are donated to Rochester Animal Services from Petco, and there were a lot of other dog owners, like Sparkle Johnson, taking advantage of the free vaccine.

"No, I just don't want him to get it. I want to be cautious and … spread awareness that this is very important, that you need to have your dog, you know, shot it up just in case for any reference or reason. Or if they bite someone," Johnson said.

The shots can be given as early as six weeks, and require three shots total.

The clinics are held at the Rochester Community Sports Complex in Lot C on Smith Street from 11 a.M. To 3 p.M. Every other Friday. No appointment is necessary but you, and your dog, must be city residents.

Kodiak Dog Tests Positive For Canine Distemper

The Kodiak Animal Shelter has several kennels for animals (Brian Venua/KMXT)

A dog at the Kodiak Animal Shelter tested positive for canine distemper, a potentially fatal virus for dogs. Jean Thurman, the shelter's manager, said in a call that to the best of their knowledge, this is the first time a dog in Kodiak has tested positive for distemper.

Thurman said the animal tested positive for the virus within the last week and all dogs at the shelter have been put into quarantine. Shelter staff will also limit dog interactions and will not allow adoptions until further notice, however the cat room and office will remain open.

A vet tech for the Kodiak Veterinary Clinic said in a call that the dog was just two years old but was put down for concerns about its quality of life after contracting the virus.

Shelter staff and veterinarians do not know how the dog was infected with distemper but are currently working to determine the cause. Dogs can spread the disease to each other through contact with other infected animals, or even airborne exposure. Humans are not susceptible to the disease.

Distemper is most often found in puppies and early signs of distemper include a dog coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, or eating less than usual. Extreme cases may lead to pneumonia for a dog, crusting of the nose and foot pads, or seizures.

This is the latest disease to affect dogs in the state – veterinarians are also keeping watch for a mysterious virus, similar to kennel cough, that's plaguing the lower 48. Veterinarians have not yet detected that disease in Kodiak yet. 

Shelter and vet clinic staff encourage the public to ensure their dogs' vaccinations are up to date to prevent infection. The Kodiak Veterinary Clinic will have a vaccine clinic on Monday. 

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