TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KERO) — A veterinarian's Facebook post about a fox that died from distemper has brought about discussions of pet safety. California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have been monitoring cases of the disease in wild animals for several months.
CDFW confirmed they have received multiple reports of sick and dead gray foxes throughout the Tehachapi area since mid-October. Four specimens submitted to their wildlife health lab all tested positive for canine distemper virus.
"We received multiple reports of sick and dead gray foxes throughout the Tehachapi area. Since mid-October, in our wildlife health lab, we have received four specimens that were submitted for necropsy, and those all tested positive for canine distemper virus," said CDFW Information Officer Krysten Kellum.
Dr. Beverly Billingsley, the veterinarian who made the original Facebook post, said the post she made was about one of two cases she has heard of in the area. While canine distemper is not transmissible to humans, it typically presents neurological symptoms in infected animals.
"They get lethargic, they can run a temperature, with distemper we typically see a little more neurological forms," Billingsley said. "Distemper is respiratory, you know, circling all sorts of weird neurological problems, but high temperatures. And the one thing about distemper is they can get a mild case and sort of get over it, but still be infected for weeks."
Both Billingsley and CDFW emphasize that vaccination is the best way to protect pets from the disease.
"Distemper and [Parvovirus] have at best a 50/50 survival rate, and they're totally preventable with vaccines," Billingsley said. "There's a misconception, 'Well my dog had their puppy shots,' well the dog's now 10 years old, and those puppy shots were 10 years ago, and their immunity is just not there."
Wildlife officials recommend staying away from any sick or injured animals encountered in the wilderness and reporting them to CDFW through the agency's website.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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