(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A mysterious illness has killed dozens of dogs in northern and central Michigan — an outbreak that has not gone unnoticed by veterinarians here.
One local veterinarian has advice for pet owners.
“The recent outbreak of these cases in Michigan is just a really good reminder for us as veterinary professionals, as well as for our pet parents, about how important it is to vaccinate your dogs,” says Dr. Kelly Cairns, an internal medicine specialist who is on the board of directors for the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association.
According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the unidentified illness presents itself as parvovirus, a highly contagious virus that can affect all dogs, but especially young dogs.
“What we will see is vomiting, profound, and very severe, often bloody diarrhea,” Dr. Cairns said. “We can see fever, very severe dehydration and lethargy or depression.”
Parvovirus can easily spread through direct dog-to-dog contact, as well as through environments or surfaces contaminated with feces.
The good news is the vaccine is effective, even against variants.
“The vaccines that we have have been shown to be very effective against the recognized variants of parvovirus,” Cairns said.
It’s important for dogs to get their core series of immunizations up through 14 to 16 weeks of age, she said.
For younger dogs that have yet to be vaccinated, she recommends avoiding high-risk situations like boarding facilities and dog parks.
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