Texarkana, Ark., animal control officials recently have noted distemper among local wildlife and advise caution to avoid spread of the deadly viral disease to dogs.
Arkansas-side officers have observed coyotes, racoons and foxes with canine distemper's typical symptoms, and there has been an increase in calls from residents who see such animals behaving strangely and fear they have rabies, said Charles Lokey, director of Texarkana Animal Care and Adoption Center.
Tests at a state lab have ruled out rabies in some specimens, Lokey said. Distemper's symptoms can closely resemble those of rabies among wildlife, causing infected animals to seem lethargic and confused, sometimes becoming aggressive. The disease can also cause some primarily nocturnal animals such as racoons to make unusual appearances during daylight hours.
To protect dogs, ensure their vaccinations are up to date, said Dr. Jennifer Ballard, state wildlife veterinarian with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
"Distemper vaccines are one of the core vaccines that most dogs should be getting from the veterinarian, so as long as dogs are up to date on their vaccines they should be protected," she said.
Both people and pets should avoid contact with any wildlife that may be carrying the disease, especially any whose behavior is unusual.
Canine distemper is caused by a virus that attacks animals' respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. It is highly contagious among dogs, foxes, wolves, coyotes, racoons, skunks, mink and ferrets. A different, rarer strain called feline distemper affects cats and is also preventable by vaccination. Distemper is not transmissible to humans.
"Initially, infected dogs will develop watery to pus-like discharge from their eyes," the AVMA website states. "They then develop fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and vomiting. As the virus attacks the nervous system, infected dogs develop circling behavior, head tilt, muscle twitches, convulsions with jaw chewing movements and salivation ('chewing gum fits'), seizures, and partial or complete paralysis. The virus may also cause the footpads to thicken and harden, leading to its nickname 'hard pad disease.'"
Distemper is often fatal, with surviving dogs frequently suffering from permanent nervous-system and other damage.
Ballard said she was not aware of an increase in distemper cases in the region, but it is not unusual to see waves of the virus periodically infecting wildlife, especially racoons and gray foxes in Arkansas.
"It's fairly common. They (outbreaks) are usually cyclic. The population will develop some immunity to it, and you won't see much, and then as that wanes, there will be another outbreak," she said. "But typically we don't expect there to be long-term population effects."
Texarkana, Ark., officers have been capturing some sick animals, and Arkansas-side residents should call Animal Control at 870-773-6388 if they see any wildlife behaving strangely, Lokey said. Texarkana, Texas, Animal Control does not normally trap wildlife, a city spokesperson said.
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