A notice of immediate closure was made public November 15 by the Levelland Animal Shelter in regard to a distemper case requiring the shelter to be closed.
According to the notice the City of Levelland had been informed by the College Ave. Animal Clinic a stray dog that was picked up on October 24 had tested positive for Distemper Virus and Mycoplasmacynos. The test was confirmed with an independent testing company IDEXX.
In accordance with the Texas Department of State Health Services Zoonosis Control Program, the Levelland Animal Shelter will need to take immediate action and close the shelter. The shelter will remain closed for at least one month but could be extended up to 120 days. The closure will allow employees time to disinfect and sterilize the facility to eradicate the highly contagious virus.
“The safety of our city and our citizens’ pets is of the most importance to our department,” stated Levelland Police Captain Tammie McDonald in the notice. “We apologize for the inconvenience of not being able to take any animals to the shelter including animals surrendered until we know that the virus is completely gone.”
During the time of closure, the department will only be able to respond to animal bite situations to take reports and provide situational information on actions that can be taken at that time.
The shelter is anticipating to be operational at the end of December 2023.
Following a brief interview with McDonald, it was explained that all animals that are within the shelter are currently being monitored for symptoms of the virus.
For a city the size of Levelland, it was explained that the shelter is a bit smaller in scale than others. The best method for handling the situation would be relocating the animals into a separate area where they can be monitored for symptoms while staff address disinfecting the original area. However, since the shelter’s layout cannot accommodate the original plan, staff will be working around the clock handling both responsibilities.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), Canine distemper is a contagious and serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of puppies and dogs.
The virus can also be found in wildlife such as foxes, wolves, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, mink and ferrets and has been reported in lions, tigers, leopards and other wild cats as well as seals.
Puppies and dogs most often become infected through airborne exposure (through sneezing or coughing) to the virus from an infected dog or wild animal. The virus can also be transmitted by shared food and water bowls and equipment. Infected dogs can shed the virus for months, and mother dogs can pass the virus through the placenta to their puppies.
Because canine distemper also impacts wildlife populations, contact between wild animals and domestic dogs can facilitate the spread of the virus. Canine distemper outbreaks in local raccoon populations can signal increased risk for pet dogs in the area.
All dogs are at risk but puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated against canine distemper are at increased risk of acquiring the disease.
Initially, infected dogs will develop watery to pus-like discharge from their eyes. 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.”
In wildlife, infection with canine distemper closely resembles rabies.
Distemper is often fatal, and dogs that survive usually have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage.
Veterinarians diagnose canine distemper through clinical appearance and laboratory testing. There is no cure for canine distemper infection. Treatment typically consists of supportive care and efforts to prevent secondary infections; control vomiting, diarrhea and neurologic symptoms; and combat dehydration through administration of fluids. Dogs infected with canine distemper must be separated from other dogs to minimize the risk of further infection.