Officials Warn Dog Owners Of An Unusual Rise In Distemper Virus In California Wildlife

In California, pet owners are being warned by authorities of a high number of canine distemper virus cases. They are occurring throughout the wildlife population in the state of California.

On Tuesday, the Department of Fish and Wildlife said that domesticated dogs that were not vaccinated could contract the disease if they came into contact with food or water bowls that had been infected by wildlife.

A number of carnivores are susceptible to canine distemper virus. Some of those that are more likely to fall victim to the virus are skunks, raccoons, and gray foxes.

According to officials at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, pet owners should keep their animals from being in areas where they could come in contact with wildlife. Reports say that wild animals could spread distemper to domestic dogs and, if a pet is unvaccinated, the virus could be spread to wildlife.

Photo: Pixabay/christels

Some of the symptoms of distemper can be illnesses associated with respiratory, neurological, and gastrointestinal issues.