MICHIGAN, USA — A mysterious illness similar to parvovirus is infecting and killing dogs in northern Michigan. More than 30 dogs in Otsego county have died this summer.
"What happens is they present to a vet with parvo-like symptoms -- the bloody diarrhea, the lethargy, vomiting," Otsego County Animal Control and Shelter Director Melissa Fitzgerald says. "Upon testing at the vet, it comes back as negative parvo. And so the vet treats, how they feel is the best treatment. And within three to five days, usually the dog has passed."
She says this has mostly affected puppies under two years old, but some older dogs have gotten sick too. She knows that other counties in northern Michigan are also seeing this issue.
"We don't know what it is. So that's the scary part," Fitzgerald says.
"It's been kind of quiet as far as we know, but that doesn't necessarily mean that won't change," Kent County Animal Shelter Division Director Angela Hollinshead says.
The parvo-like illness hasn't been reported in Kent County. Hollinshead says the best protect is vaccination.
"What I hope is that this is a strain of something that we're familiar with, so we have the ability to have some protection with the vaccines that we already have," she says.
Pet owners are also encouraged to clean up after their dog, keep them away from others if they're sick and watch out for what they're sniffing.
"There's concern that because parvovirus can live in the soil, (and) it can live on on hard surfaces," Hollinshead says.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is investigating. Some samples have come back recently positive for parvo, and others are still pending.
"Right now, we are still very in the early stages of this investigation," Assistant State Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Calogero says.
Dog owners are also encouraged to be careful when travelling across the state with their dogs by picking up after them and keeping them on a leash.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.