Two Animal Foundation dogs die from respiratory illness

This week, two dogs from The Animal Foundation died from a highly contagious disease called zoonotic strep throat, prompting an emergency adoption drive this weekend to get as many dogs as possible out of shelters.

Additionally, the foundation is trying to warn dog owners in southern Nevada about two diseases that may be prevalent in the valley.

“The Animal Foundation wants to make sure pet owners are aware that this condition may be spreading in the community,” the nonprofit said in a post on its website. “If your dog is showing symptoms of canine pneumonia virus or zoostrep , please contact your veterinarian for immediate care.”

Veterinarians at The Animal Foundation have seen an increase in the number of dogs infected with zoological streptococci and canine pneumovirus.

“Zoo strep is a bacteria that is common even in healthy animals, but symptoms often appear when the animal’s immune system has been compromised,” the online post states. “Symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever, lethargy, difficulty breathing and coughing up blood. Clinical symptoms may quickly progress to pneumonia and lead to sudden death.”

A dog suffering from severe symptoms of respiratory illness was euthanized on Sunday. The dog later tested positive for zoostrep bacteria. Since then, a second shelter dog has died from strep throat at the zoo.

All shelter dogs known to have been exposed to dogs diagnosed with strep at the zoo are being quarantined for 10 to 14 days. An official said they started taking antibiotics with good results.

Canine pneumovirus is a highly contagious virus in dogs. There is no preventive vaccine and dogs have no natural immunity against it. The clinical symptoms are cough and runny nose, which can progress to pneumonia.

“These diseases are highly contagious and can be spread from dog to dog through kennels due to large numbers of dogs in the same location. In shelters, it is critical to quickly isolate sick dogs for 10 to 14 days to prevent disease spread to other members of the shelter,” said Dr. Casey Miller, the foundation’s chief veterinarian.

Adoption event

The Animal Foundation will be holding emergency adoption events on Friday and Saturday. Adoption fees are waived for all shelter dog adoptions.

“We must remove as many dogs as possible from shelters to prevent the spread of zoostrep and canine pneumovirus,” the foundation said in a statement. “Get dogs out of shelters and into a quiet environment The environment can reduce its stress and keep it healthy. This can have a big impact when affected by infectious respiratory diseases.”

People are encouraged to come directly to the Mojave Road Adoption Building from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The foundation said people should not call or email as teams will be busy meeting people in person at shelters.

What to pay attention to

Streptococcus zooepidemicus, abbreviation Streptococcus canis, is a bacterial infection that primarily affects dogs.It’s caused by bacteria Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and may cause various symptoms such as fever, drowsiness, cough and difficulty breathing. If symptoms are noticed, pet owners should seek veterinary help immediately.

Canine pneumovirus is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can spread easily and quickly between dogs in shelters and kennels. Most dogs have no pre-existing immunity to this virus, and there is no vaccine, meaning nearly all dogs are susceptible to infection.