Lake Highlands and East Dallas residents, the recent distemper outbreak in raccoons that has been reported extensively in the past couple of weeks can affect (or even kill) household pets if they are not vaccinated properly. Dallas City Councilmember Jerry Allen emailed a warning to residents this week about the epidemic. Residents are urged not to leave cat and dog food out in the open, as these infected raccoons will congregate around food, spreading the disease to other animals. Bottom line: you shouldn't have any problems if you keep your animals indoors, bring in your food bowls, and make sure your animals have had their distemper shots. And know the symptoms of distemper so that if you happen upon it, all you need to do is contact animal control.

The following is an excerpt from the NBC-5 story, republished by Bonnie Bradshaw on the 911 Wildlife site. Bradshaw is an employee with 911 Wildlife and a City of Dallas contractor:

Bradshaw said symptoms of distemper in raccoons include being out and about in daylight hours and acting friendly or passive before developing a fever, convulsions and seizures. The virus is not transferable to humans but, in different forms, can affect dogs and cats that are not vaccinated. Dallas resident Michael Burt said he first noticed a raccoon peering through his patio glass doors early Thursday evening. By Friday morning, the animal was lying in a corner, shaking. Bradshaw said the majority of the calls 911 Wildlife has received about the sick raccoons are concentrated in central Plano and in the area around and north of White Rock Lake in Dallas. Officials say pet owners need to make sure their animals are up-to-date on their distemper vaccinations. People should also avoid leaving dog or cat food outdoors or, at the very least, bring in the food by nighttime.