Dogs At Risk In Point Pleasant After 'Epidemic' Kills Animals

An "epidemic" that's spreading in the Point Pleasant area is a potential threat to dogs after it killed about a dozen raccoons in three local towns, according to local officials.

Point Pleasant Beach officials say they've had to put down 35 to 40 raccoons because of a K-9 "distemper epidemic" reported by Animal Control Officer "Muskrat" Jack Neary.

Neary said he picked up and euthanized 5 raccoons in Point Pleasant Beach over just several days. Distemper, he said, has since spread to raccoons in Point Pleasant Boro and Bay Head.

Neary said the symptoms mimic rabies – raccoons, for instance, will act strange during daylight hours. Distemper is highly contagious and can spread through the air.

He asked that, if anyone encounters a raccoon exhibiting this behavior, please call the police immediately so they can dispatch ASAP. "Also, as a precaution, make sure your pets are up-to-date on all their vaccinations," the town says.

Canine distemper is a contagious and serious viral illness with no known cure, according to the petMD website. The disease affects dogs, and certain species of wildlife, such as raccoons, wolves, foxes, and skunks.

The virus, which is spread through the air and by direct or indirect contact with an infected animal, initially attacks a dog’s tonsils and lymph nodes and replicates itself there for about one week. It then attacks the respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems, according to the site.

Canine distemper is sometimes also called “hard pad disease” because certain strains of the virus can cause an abnormal enlargement or thickening of the pads of an animal’s feet. In dogs or animals with weak immune systems, death may result two to five weeks after the initial infection, according to the site.

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