MARQUETTE — Michigan dog owners have had reason to be concerned over the past week, after a mysterious illness killed dozens of dogs in the northern Lower Peninsula.

Officials have since determined that parvovirus in dogs without the complete vaccination is the culprit.

A Wednesday press release from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development revealed that testing from MDARD, along with the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory announced their findings after a nervous week for pet owners throughout the state.

“Canine parvovirus is a severe and highly contagious disease in dogs, but MDARD and veterinary professionals have extensive experience with this virus,” said state veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, in a press release. “We have a highly effective vaccine available to help protect dogs from the virus. Dogs that are not fully vaccinated against this virus are the most at risk. Dog owners across Michigan must work closely with their veterinarians to ensure their dogs are appropriately vaccinated and given timely boosters to keep their pets safe and healthy. Protecting Michigan’s dogs is a team effort.”

The initial reports of a mysterious illness came from the fact that the impacted dogs were testing negative for the virus.

“This situation is complex because although the dogs displayed clinical signs suggestive of parvovirus, they consistently test negative by point-of-care tests performed in clinics and shelters,” said MSU VDL director Kim Dodd, DVM. “Screening tests for parvo are done to help guide immediate isolation, disinfection and treatment protocols. While those tests are valuable in the clinical setting, they are not as sensitive as the diagnostic tests we can perform here in the laboratory. We continue to further characterize the virus in hopes of better understanding why those animals were testing negative on screening tests.”

Up to this point, all of the deaths have been in younger dogs with incomplete vaccination histories located in the Lower Peninsula. While no Upper Peninsula dogs have been impacted as of yet, officials say that this serves as a wakeup call for dog owners.

“This is something that we routinely vaccinate for. It’s super important to stay up to date. It’s emerging that these dogs (that) are dying were not up to date,” said Dr. Tracy Nyberg of Stuga North Veterinary Care in Marquette. “Also, be thinking about where you are traveling with your dogs and with socialization. I wouldn’t go to the dog park or where there are a lot of dogs coming and going or socializing with dogs that you don’t know the vaccine status of.”

Making sure to clean up after your dog is also important.

“A lot of these diseases can be transmitted through fecal transmission. Stay away from areas where people aren’t cleaning up after their pets,” Nyberg said.

“The number one sign that something is wrong is the onset of vomiting, diarrhea or if you notice your dog acting very lethargic,” she said. “If you notice any of these symptoms, reach out to your vet and then they can help out with testing.”

Randy Crouch can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is rcrouch@miningjournal.net.