Tamaqua Police are cautioning residents to keep their pets indoors or on leashes due to finding several wild animals in the area suffering from distemper.

In the past two weeks, officers have had several calls concerning possibly rabid raccoons and skunks. It’s been determined the animals were actually suffering from distemper, a highly contagious disease, especially for dogs and cats.

Unlike rabies, which is transferred through bites and scratches, distemper can be spread by animals sharing the same water or food sources, as well as through fresh urine, blood or saliva.

“Keep your pet’s food and water dishes inside and don’t allow your pets to drink from puddles,” says Tamaqua Patrolman Anthony Stanell.

Dishes or bowls that have been left outside, available to wild animals, should be thoroughly disinfected.

Symptoms of the disease include sneezing, coughing, fever, a usually active pet becoming lethargic, sudden vomiting and/or diarrhea, depression, loss of appetite, thick mucus from the eyes and nose and seizures.

Distemper shots are part of a pet’s regular vaccine series and your veterinarian will be able to tell you if your pet has received the necessary series of shots.

There is no cure for distemper.

Anyone who sees a wild animal suffering from these symptoms should call 570-668-6100 to report the location.