Canine distemper on the rise in city, activists blame GCC’s poor handling

CHENNAI: Stray dogs are affected with various health issues including rashes after the Chennai Corporation carries out Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries on them, animal activists in the city alleged. They claimed that a few dogs have also died post-surgery.

The activists alleged that gruesome violations are committed in the name of ABC by the veterinarians.

However, the civic body authorities refuted the allegations and said dogs are found dead on the streets due to contagious canine distemper disease. They added that the GCC will soon start vaccinating the dogs against the disease.

“The surgeries are supposed to perform only on healthy dogs. But in some cases, the civic body is lethargic and did surgery on the dogs affected with canine distemper, which is an airborne disease in dogs. After the surgery, the doctors shift the dogs to the management section. Recently, in one of the pet clinics managed by the government, the dogs are left to die without any treatment provided and it led to a rapid spread of disease among the animals, “ claimed Sudhamathi Muthuvel, an animal activist.

The activist said the local body does not take up any initiative to prevent diseases among the animals. They only focus on the anti-rabies vaccination to ensure that humans are not affected, he said.

The animal lovers in the city alleged that the civic body authorities are doing it on purpose to reduce the population of stray dogs, as it would also lessen the burden to carry out ABC surgery and vaccination drives.

Though the disease does not have any relation with ABC surgeries, there are chances of spreading since the dogs are not segregated properly during transportation or at the shelter.

“Though the diseases are seasonal, one of the main reasons is the unhygienic living conditions. There is no proper waste management, and regulated slaughterhouses and meat shops, which lead to more stray dogs being infected,” G Arun Prasanna, Secretary, People for Cattle in India said.

They urged the civic body authorities to create awareness among the public, and organise a periodic mass vaccination drive, and sterilisation for the dogs, especially stray dogs.

Dr J Kamal Hussain, Veterinary officer, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) said that the dogs are kept in a room post-ABC surgery to monitor for a week. He said the diseases such as parvo and canine distemper might have spread to the dogs. However, no death cases were reported in dogs in the clinic during the observation period.

“The death reports of dogs in the city due to canine distemper have come to notice, and we have been taking steps to vaccinate the animal against the disease. Since, vaccination is expensive, and there have been no dogs vaccinated against canine diseases in Tamil Nadu. We are taking steps to immunise the dogs and the process for vaccinating the dogs against the diseases is expected to start at the earliest,” added the official.

What is Canine Distemper Virus?

Canine distemper is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease that affects dogs. It is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV), which is a member of the paramyxo virus family. CDV can be spread through contact with the saliva, nasal discharge, or faeces of an infected dog. In Chennai, canine distemper is most common during the summer and winter months as the virus easily spreads in warm, humid weather.

The fatality rate of canine distemper is high, especially in puppies and unvaccinated dogs. However, with prompt treatment, some dogs can recover.Feeders and street animals caretakers can approach state animal welfare boards or NGOs for help to conduct vaccination campaigns.