Saturday, July 13, 2013

Virus outbreak at Big Cat Sanctuary

We have had a confirmed diagnosis of canine distemper at our sanctuary, and about 20 of our big cats have shown various symptoms of the disease, ranging from mild (runny nose, decreased appetite) to severe (seizures). We have lost two of our beloved cats to this disease, Apollo and Layla. It is believed that the canine distemper was brought to our facility by raccons, as many Collin County raccoons who have been trapped have tested positive for the disease.

All our cats receive routine annual vaccinations, including FELINE distemper, but the Panthera cats (lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars) can also get canine distemper. The smaller cats cannot get it, so our cougars, cheetahs, lynx, bobcats, servals and ocelot should be safe from this virus. Although the big cats can get it, they cannot be given the dog vaccine for canine distemper (it is a live vaccine, and has caused serious problems in big cats in other facilities). Our accrediting agencies and many veterinarians have always recommended that we not vaccinate for canine distemper, due to the strong possibility of serious side effects. There is a ferret version of the canine distemper vaccine, that isn't considered too risky to give them (although it is not approved for use in big cats) and our cats have received that, but no one really knows if it offers them any protection.

Unfortunately, VERY little is known about how this disease affects big cats, so we are doing everything that we can, including working closely with our own vets, and several vets who specialize in the treatment of canine distemper. There is no known treatment for the virus itself, so what we are primarily doing is supportive care: antibiotics to fight off secondary infections, fluids, and vitamins and other medications to help boost the cats’ immune systems to help them fight off this virus. We are also using some experimental treatments that may help with the virus. Because there is so little information on how this disease affects big cats, we are documenting everything, every day: each cat has a daily log detailing symptoms, seizure times and durations, exact dosages of medications and vitamins, everything. Hopefully, these efforts will assist other facilities who may face this horrible disease in the future.

Please be assured that we are doing everything possible to save our beloved cats, and they are receiving 24/7 dedicated nursing care by our tireless staff and volunteers.

If you would like to help us in our efforts to save our cats, monetary donations are definitely appreciated. Our vet bills are enormous, and rising quickly. Our medications and vitamins are extremely expensive (one lion, for example, can get over 100 pills per day, and we have 20 sick cats). We can also use donations of meat (venison, duck, antelope, beef heart, chicken, turkey, Cornish hens, pork, steak, bacon, etc), and Vitamin C 1000mg, along with regular supplies such as hand sanitizer, paper towels, large contractor trash bags, towels, blankets, bleach, and bottled water. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and any help that you can offer.

Donations can be made at http://www.insyncexotics.org/Donate.html.

Our Media Director is Lisa Williams, and she can be reached at lwilliams@insyncexotics.com

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