Headlines are popping up in Ontario and B.C. alike – dangerous illnesses including distemper and rabies are appearing at rates higher than usual. Though excellent bait programs in Ontario have kept rabies to few isolated cases in past decades, it seems that some animals are hitching rides across the border, and bringing minor outbreaks with them. And in B.C., distemper infamously claimed the lives of four puppies at an SPCA shelter, increasing awareness and fear of the often fatal ailment.
Though these headlines are assisting in the educational campaigns of veterinarians and wildlife rehabilitators across the country, some unnecessary worry is growing as well.
To share information about distemper and rabies, what it actually looks like in wildlife and pets, how to reduce the risks of infection, and the absolute importance of vaccination to wild animals, domestic animals, and even humans, we were joined by Dr. Christine Coghlan of Preston Animal Clinic in Cambridge, Ontario.