Just as cold and flu season is ramping up, there’s another sickness pet owners should be aware of.
A respiratory illness is making its way through dogs across the country, and researchers and veterinary experts remain in the dark about the specifics of the disease. The symptoms are similar to both kennel cough or canine influenza, though pathology reports have been unable to link it to any known respiratory illnesses in dogs.
Reports from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are linking the origin of the sickness to Oregon, as the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has seen over 200 cases of this illness since August.
“Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative,” said Andrea Cantu-Schomus, ODA communications director.
Dr. Jane Sykes, an infectious disease expert with The Vets, told ConsumerAffairs that there is “no clear evidence yet whether there is more respiratory disease than in previous years or there is a new pathogen circulating.”
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What are the symptoms?
According to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, there are several symptoms associated with this respiratory illness. Dog owners should look out for:
Coughing
Sneezing
Labored breathing
Nose or eye discharge
Lethargy
Decreased appetite
According to Dr. Sykes, vets should be treating symptoms per the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Disease (ISCAID) guidelines for acute respiratory disease in dogs.
This illness is highly contagious and has quickly spread to a dozen states across the country, including Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon Pennsylvania and Washington.
Currently, the infection is unique to dogs, though no breeds are more likely to become infected than others. This makes it all the more important for dog owners to take the necessary precautions to keep their pets safe and healthy.
Skip doggie daycare…for now
To help stop the spread of this respiratory infection, and prevent as many dogs as possible from contracting it, pet owners are encouraged to minimize their pet’s interactions with other dogs.
Sykes shared her best advice with ConsumerAffairs on how to keep pets safe amidst this outbreak:
Owners of dogs that are known to come into contact with other dogs, especially those that have contact with other dogs indoors, like in dog daycare or boarding environments, should make sure that their dogs are vaccinated annually for the organisms that we have vaccines for – adenovirus, distemper, Bordetella, parainfluenza, and H3N2 influenza, as well as other important pathogens that can cause outbreaks of disease, like leptospirosis.
Dogs need to be vaccinated at least a week in advance of any boarding.
If boarding or daycare is necessary, owners should choose daycares or boarding facilities that have good hygiene practices, require vaccination at least one week ahead of boarding, and that minimize overcrowding.
If you’re thinking about purchasing a new dog, such as for Christmas, you should purchase dogs from reputable breeders or from shelters. Any new dog is best kept away from other dogs for two weeks after purchase, should they break with respiratory disease. Potential owners should also choose to obtain new dogs from North America, rather than importing dogs.
If dogs do develop signs of illness, they should be kept away from other dogs for as long as possible while showing symptoms, definitely no less than two weeks.
Pet owners should remember that there are lots of other reasons for cough, including serious conditions like fungal infections and cancer, so if their dog does not get better in a few days, or is lethargic and not eating, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian.
If an owner suspects contagious respiratory disease because their dog came out of a shelter or boarding environment or had known contact with other dogs that had respiratory disease, they should inform their veterinarian when they call in advance to make the appointment. The veterinary team can then take precautions to prevent transmission.
Photo Credit: Consumer Affairs News Department Images
Posted: 2023-12-01 16:26:03