AUSTIN, Texas — Multiple Central Texas animal shelters are reporting a rise in canine distemper cases.
Canine distemper is a potentially deadly but treatable virus. Experts say its symptoms can be slow and dogs may not show signs for several weeks. Early on, dogs may show visible depression, lethargy and upper respiratory symptoms. As the condition progresses, they may begin to have seizures, paralysis or other neurological signs.
On Aug. 17, Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) said it and the Austin Animal Center (AAC) were both urgently asking the community to foster dogs to help as the shelters dealt with a surge of distemper cases at AAC. The shelters said fosters were need to take home healthier distemper-positive dogs while APA! and AAC cared for the more severe cases.
APA! said if pet owners have other dogs at home, those dogs are safe if they are full vaccinated and up-to-date on their distemper/parvo vaccine. Dog owners can also obtain an antibody test from their veterinarian to ensure their dogs are up-to-date on their vaccinations.
“I have personally fostered hundreds of distemper dogs, and my dogs have never gotten sick,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO of APA!. “The distemper/parvo vaccine is so effective that you typically don't see it spread in a vaccinated population, like in someone’s home. It is safe to foster distemper dogs as long as the other dogs at home are fully vaccinated."
On Aug. 21, AAC reiterated that it is continuing to experience an increase in distemper cases. So far this month, AAC has received 39 positive results from 94 dogs tested.
“As expected, the dogs testing positive are generally under a year old and have only been in the shelter for a few weeks, meaning they didn’t have time to build up appropriate vaccination immunity before being exposed,” said Dr. Debbie Elliott, AAC’s head veterinarian. “We are seeing a range of symptoms, from dogs that aren’t showing any signs to dogs developing seizures. We have been working with experts at the University of Wisconsin Shelter Medicine Program as well as our partners at Austin Pets Alive! to provide treatment and slow the spread of disease through the shelter.”
AAC said it is continuing to seek fosters and adopters for healthy, vaccinated dogs. All adoption fees are waived, and staff is available to process walk-in fosters daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The increase in distemper cases isn't exclusive to Austin. The Georgetown Animal Shelter said it has also seen an increase in dogs with distemper and asked for the community's help to move healthy dogs out of the shelter to separate them from and create isolation space for the sick dogs.
In an update on Aug. 28, the Georgetown Animal Shelter said it had resumed normal operations after limiting positive distemper cases to a single canine. Test results for 26 other dogs in the shelter’s care came back negative, the shelter said. The original canine who tested positive for distemper remains in isolation and continues to show signs of improvement. Shelter staff remain optimistic the dog will make a full recovery.
“Limiting the spread of such a contagious virus to the original dog who tested positive is an incredible testament to our shelter staff, who immediately put safety and cleaning protocols in place, and to our community, who immediately responded to our plea for fosters,” Animal Services Manager April Haughey said.
Within four days of a call for fosters, seven of the 15 healthy dogs were fostered or adopted out of the Georgetown shelter. Residents who are fostering dogs are being asked to keep them for up to two weeks, to give staff time to catch up on surgeries and other tasks.
Learn more about canine distemper. Check out the links below for more information about fostering or adopting from the three shelters being impacted: