- Three suspected distemper cases were reported in Quitman this week.
- The virus is highly contagious and often fatal to unvaccinated dogs.
- Watch the video below to see what signs you should look for and where to get your pets vaccinated.
Suspected distemper cases put Quitman on alert
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Quitman officials are urging people to report sick wildlife after three suspected distemper cases popped up this week.
I'm finding out what animal control is doing to contain it and what you can do right now to protect your dogs.
This started when animal control picked up a fox showing classic signs of distemper and since then, two more foxes have been spotted acting sick but have not been caught.
I spoke with Anna Strickland, Quitman's Animal Control Officer, to understand more about the virus.
She tells me canine distemper is a highly contagious and often fatal virus that affects wild animals.
Early signs include nasal discharge, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea, but by the time it shows up in wildlife, it's usually in the late neurological stage: circling, seizures, and jaw spasms.
"Canine distemper is fox, raccoon, ferrets, anything in the canine family, which does include domestic dogs that have not been vaccinated, can all get canine distemper. There are a couple different varying types. There's feline distemper canine, but the cases that we've seen are in the canine sort, yes. Yes, exactly. All of our dogs here at the shelter are vaccinated against distemper," said Strickland.
Distemper isn't new to Georgia: a long-term UGA study found 441 confirmed cases in wild raccoons and gray foxes statewide between 1975 and 2019.
Strickland says all three recent cases in Quitman were foxes, and because sick animals stop eating, traps don't work, making them almost impossible to contain.
She also says no local pets have been infected, and wants to keep it that way by urging owners to vaccinate.
If something looks off with a wild animal, don't approach it, call animal control and let them handle it.
And vets in Quitman as well as Tractor Supply can give your dog a quick distemper vaccine if they're not protected yet.
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