hree raccoons in Long Beach have tested positive for distemper, Long Beach Animal Care Services (ACS) announced Feb. 4. Although distemper poses no health risk to humans, ACS has shared the following tips to help prevent animals from contracting distemper.
• Vaccinate dogs and cats.
• Anyone bitten or scratched by a raccoon must contact their physician immediately.
• Feed pets indoors.
• Those who feed pets outdoors should take special care to remove any leftover food, which can attract infected animals not completely debilitated by the disease.
• Do not feed wildlife, which may lead to large concentrations of animals around food, increasing the spread of disease.
• Restrain pets, not allowing them to roam. Keep dogs on a leash away from the home.
• Those who observe a sick wild animal should not approach it. Report sick or injured animals by calling ACS at (562) 570-7387 and describing observations about and location of the animal.
A healthy animal may contract canine or feline distemper from direct contact with an infected animal or its bodily secretions and waste. Under most environmental conditions the virus does not survive long outside the body, therefore, transmission requires close interaction between animals to enable direct contact or aerosol exposure, according to ACS. Many of the symptoms displayed by an animal with distemper are very similar to symptoms displayed by a rabid animal; only testing of brain tissue can determine if an animal is rabid.
In the initial stages of canine distemper, the major symptoms include high fever, reddened eyes and a watery discharge from the nose and eyes. An infected dog will become lethargic, tired and usually anorexic. Persistent coughing, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. Symptoms of feline pan-leukopenia, commonly referred to as feline distemper, include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and sudden death.
For more information and for other dates and locations, visit longbeach.gov/acs .
Source: City of LB
