Watch Your Dogs: Deadly Canine Virus On The Rise In CA

CALIFORNIA — A potentially deadly virus affecting dogs is on the rise in California, and pet owners should keep a close eye on their dogs to keep them from contracting the disease, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday.

An unusually high number of canine distemper virus cases have been reported recently, the CDFW said. Distemper affects both domestic and wild carnivores, including dogs, foxes, raccoons and skunks.

Unvaccinated dogs are most at risk of catching the virus by sharing food or water bowls with infected animals, officials said.

The virus can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurologic problems, with signs including depression, fever, labored breathing, diarrhea, incoordination and moving in small circles. There is no treatment, and some infected animals do not survive the illness.

Distemper is the most common cause of death found among California's carnivores, according to the CDFW. It is transmitted much like the common cold, when animals breathe in infected droplets or come into contact with saliva or other bodily fluids. The disease is most common among adult animals during the winter, and among juvenile animals in the spring and summer.

Animals that have distemper may not show signs but can still spread the virus for up to 90 days. The CDFW advised people to stay away from sick or injured wild animals and remove food or other attractants.

Above all, the CDFW said, the virus serves as a reminder to keep pets vaccinated.

"Keeping dogs up to date on vaccinations not only protects pets, it protects wildlife," Deana Clifford, CDFW Senior Wildlife Veterinarian, said in a statement. "Wild animals can spread distemper to domestic dogs, but unvaccinated domestic dogs can also spread the disease to wild animals."

To report sick animal behavior or ask questions about distemper, call the CDFW's Wildlife Investigations Laboratory at 916-358-2790.