Distemper outbreak has caused the death of 17 dogs.
Seven dogs from an animal shelter in St. Louis are ill, and other 17 died due to a distemper outbreak which has taken its toll especially on puppies.
Experts haven’t found a cure yet for this canine virus which is very contagious as well. According to Randy Grim, Stray Rescue founder, although the shelter has enough staff to take care of around 400 dogs, it will not accept any stray dogs for the next four weeks until the outbreak is stopped.
Distemper is often confused with kennel, which is a mild shelter sickness. However, Grim became suspiciouscanada goose damen when several dogs fell ill. He believes that the dogs might have contracted the virus from raccoons which live in the surrounding area.
He further adds that unvaccinated dogs and those with weak immune systems have the highest risks of contracting the infection. The shelter’s staff has taken active measures to stop the outbreak by isolating all dogs.
Every animal will be tested, especially those who have never been vaccinated. He underlines that he doesn’t know which will be the outcome of this situation. Grim promised that he and his colleagues would do their best to prevent any puppies from dying, although ‘This could bankrupt us.’
Any donation is welcomed as Stray Rescue wishes to raise around $100,000 to provide all dogs with the necessary treatment. Also, people can donate cleaning supplies such as laundry detergent and bleach as well as towels.
Grim decided to seek support in Maddie’s Fund, an organization which has high-tech equipment and guidelines to address such issues. Although distemper cannot be transmitted to cats or humans, Grim strongly recommends dog owners to vaccinate every pet to prevent future incidents.
It is worth mentioning that walking your dog in an area where a raccoon urinated is more than enough to increase the risks of an infection. Officials has issued a public warning that all pet owners should be aware that many areas throughout St. Louis might have been contaminated.
People who want to become foster owners or adopt a puppy are more than welcome by Stray Rescue. The shelter’s employees will continue their investigation, while they will also double theircanada goose schweiz efforts to make sure that no other dog will get infected with distemper.
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