'It doesn't take long before it's too late': 6 cases of flesh-eating disease found in Vancouver Island dogs
Six cases of a rare and often fatal flesh-eating disease have been detected in dogs on Vancouver Island in recent months.
Victoria Humane Society executive director Penny Stone says the high number of cases on the island is "very concerning."
All of the cases have been found in the Mid-Island region, with no cases detected yet on the South Island, according to Stone.
Still, the humane society director is warning all dog owners on the island to be on the lookout for the disease, known as necrotizing fasciitis.
"Once your dog has it, it doesn’t take long before it's too late to save your dog," Stone said Tuesday.
"This is the kind of thing you need to take in right away."
Humans cannot contract the disease from dogs, Stone said, urging dog owners to check their pets for blisters, sore limbs or skin lesions regularly.
Necrotizing fasciitis can affect skin, underlying fat, and fascia – the connective tissue that surrounds muscles – according to the Central Island Veterinary Emergency Hospital, which issued a warning about the disease earlier this month.
The illness can infect a pet through punctures or skin infections, and it does not always seems like an obvious wound, the CIVEH said.
Some skin discolouration may occur, and animals with the disease generally develop a fever, veterinarians say.
Treatment for the disease can require surgery to remove infected tissue or limbs.
With files from CTV News Vancouver Island's Adam Chan
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.