“While we continue to work diligently to identify what is making these dogs sick, we are asking Ohio’s veterinarians to help by contacting our laboratory for consultation if they suspect they are treating a related case,” State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey said. “The most important thing dog owners can do is call their veterinarian if they have concerns about the health of their pets.
As part of its investigation, the department also announced the presence of canine circovirus in a fecal sample taken from an ill dog. This is the first laboratory detection of the virus in Ohio. Further work is underway to verify the significance of this finding.
Humane societies, dog wardens and shelters in Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties all reported no problems Friday.
“Right now, we’re fine. Unfortunately, these kind of things travel so we’re going to keep a good, close eye on on this,” Mick Sagester, shelter supervisor for Montgomery County Animal Resource Center said.
Dr. Harold Brown, a veterinarian and director of Greene County Animal Control, said his shelter lost several young dogs this summer, but that was due to the Parvo virus. Currently none of of his animals are sick.
“We have been lucky. We have not had a large influx of vulnerable puppies,” Brown said “We have not had to close any dog parks.”
James Straley, executive director of the Humane Society Serving Clark County, Inc., said fellow directors around the region notify each other if they have an infectious outbreak, or other problem. All has been quiet.
“My kennel is super healthy,” Straley said. “We haven’t had anything bad happen here in several years.”
Parvo viru
About the Author