A recent increase in the incidence of an old disease is claiming lives in Laurens County……….dog’s lives.
It’s distemper. One local veterinarian says he hasn’t seen much of the disease in nearly 30 years but its back in force this Spring. Robert Motte with Laurens County Animal Control tells WLBG that they’ve seen it in their shelter. 35 dogs had to be euthanized last week because of the disease.
Distemper is almost always fatal and it is highly contagious. The good news is that a vaccine that prevents the disease is available and usually costs only around $10.
Robert Motte says that many dogs have already been vaccinated for distemper. He advises you to ask your veterinarian to check your dog’s records. You may also want to ask about a distemper booster shot.
Make sure you’re a friend to man’s best friend.