Deadly Dog Virus Strikes In Michigan, Quickly Kills Six; Mystery Illness Blamed For Ohio Dog Deaths

[Purveyor]

By: Julie Banovic, WXYZ-Detroit

ANN ARBOR, Mich - A deadly dog virus has struck Ann Arbor, Michigan already quickly killing six. Veterinarians say it may spread from owners to their pets.

--CLIP
Veterinarians don't know exactly what kind of virus Brutus has, because there is no name for it yet. This is the first time the virus has been seen in metro Detroit and it's quickly killing dogs.

“Usually within about 12 to 24 hours of it starting,” said Dr. Lindsay Ruland of the Emergency Veterinary Hospital in Ann Arbor.

Dr. Ruland said Brutus and other dogs with the unknown virus are showing flu like symptoms. “Severe abdominal pain, often times bloody diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy,” she continued.

The virus is similar Circovirus that started getting dogs sick last year in San Diego. Cases of the illness have been reported all across Ohio, killing several dogs and causing the Ohio Department of Agriculture to investigate.

How the disease is transmitted is unknown. But canines with the virus appear to also have owners who are sick.

Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/national/deadly-virus-getting-dogs-sick-in-metro-detroit-is-being-seen-in-michigan-for-the-first-time-wews1380818752477#ixzz2ggF5Ox8U

It sounds like this isn't necessarily a death sentence for the dogs if caught IN TIME!

We live about 35 miles west of Ann Arbor and I have already alerted most of my dog loving friends that at the first sign of illness in your dogs...take them to the Vet, pronto.

[etherealtruth]

1. This is truly frightening

[kestrel91316]

2. Great. Another "parvo".

I was a junior and senior in vet school when that one first showed up. We were all terrified that we would bring it home to our own pets from the teaching hospital.

We actually gave dogs the feline distemper vaccine in the beginning for rudimentary protection. Parvo is a mutation of the feline distemper (panleukopenia) virus.

[Warpy]

3. Wow, I didn't know that

but it makes a lot of sense since a lot of shelters and acute care hospitals don't separate cats and dogs properly, IMO. I'm not surprised there was a species jump there.

Saddest thing I've seen with parvo is a mother dog and litter of eight puppies brought in by animal control while I was hanging out in the surgical area of the e-vet, petting my very sick kitty. All nine dogs needed to be put down immediately and I could hear their breathing from far across the room.

This one sounds more like it could be poisoning, since it's a GI thing.

[kestrel91316]

5. Parvo is a GI thing. It's canine distemper that starts out as a respiratory thing

(but then causes neuro damage in some).

This new circovirus is new. We don't know what it's about yet. The association with human illness is disturbing.

[Warpy]

7. OK, thanks. I do know that litter

was incredibly dehydrated. The puppies barely moved when the IV went in.

[AngryOldDem]

4. Great.

My dog just had some diarrhea during her nightly constitutional. She's acting fine otherwise, but now this is going to be in the back of my mind....(I'm in Indiana.)

Probably nothing, but I'm trying not to transfer my hypochondria.

[kestrel91316]

6. Common things are common. Most acute diarrhea in dogs and cats is due to them eating something that

didn't sit right.

[AngryOldDem]

8. Yeah, I know...but timing is everything.

We're skittish with her right now anyway because we just went through a bad scare about her back. She seems to be back to normal now, but for awhile there, we didn't know how things were going to play out.

She seems fine today, so I'm just chalking her case of the runs last night to something she probably ate.

[xchrom]

9. du rec.