MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - Overcrowding isn’t the only challenge for local animal shelters. It may be making the spread of illness worse too.
One woman who recently adopted a pet from the Montgomery County Animal Shelter believes she brought distemper home too.
“Four days after we got her, she started not eating and puking and coughing a lot,” said Cynthia Ladony.
Ladony said the shelter ended up putting the dog down when she brought her back.
“I just want people to know that if you’re adopting a shelter dog, I mean, they’re not all going to be healthy,” said Ladony.
Shelter veterinarian Jordan Gentry said he’s been treating a lot of distemper these days too.
“This year, I’ve seen more distemper than I have in my previous four years in the Houston area,” said Dr. Gentry.
Like other shelters, Gentry said every dog that enters the Montgomery County Animal Shelter gets a distemper vaccination.
But the airborne illness combined with overcrowding makes for an especially challenging environment.
“I do know that we see animals come in and they eventually get exposed to the virus at the same time they get vaccinated,” said Gentry.
That’s why new pet owners like Ladony are encouraged to keep adopted pets isolated for a suggested length of time. They should also make sure existing pets are properly vaccinated too.
“It’s really a hard one to guarantee based on what we see coming in from the community,” said Gentry.
The Montgomery County Animal Shelter is still waiving adoption fees because of overcrowding. All new pet parents are given handouts on how to deal with potential illness. It’s something most, if not all, shelters do.
For more information on distemper in dogs, click here.