Veterinary laboratories in several states are investigating an unusual respiratory illness in dogs, and encouraging people to take basic precautions to keep their pets healthy as veterinarians try to pin down what’s making the animals sick.
Oregon, Colorado and New Hampshire are among the states that have seen cases of the illness, which has caused lasting respiratory disease and pneumonia and does not respond to antibiotics. Symptoms of respiratory illness in dogs include coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge and lethargy. Some cases of the pneunomia progress quickly, making dogs very sick within 24 to 36 hours.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has documented more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. It has encouraged pet owners to contact their vet if their dog is sick and told state veterinarians to report cases as soon as possible. The agency is working with state researchers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory to find out what is causing the illnesses.
Dogs have died, said Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University. But without a clear way to define the disease or test for it, he said it’s hard to put a number on how many died from a severe form of the infection.
Williams had a simple message for dog owners: “Don’t panic.” He also said dog owners should make sure that their pets are up to date on vaccines, including those that protect against various respiratory illnesses.
Labs across the country have been sharing their findings as they try to pinpoint the culprit.
David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire’s New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, has been investigating the mysterious disease for almost a year.
His lab and colleagues at the university’s Hubbard Center for Genome Research have looked at samples from dogs in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and more will be coming from Oregon, Colorado and possibly other states.
He said his team has not seen a large increase in dogs dying from the illness but still encouraged pet owners to “decrease contact with other dogs.”
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of-matter on November 19th, 2023 at 03:07 UTC »
Suddenly I'm extremely thankful my dog is antisocial and hates other dogs
MummifiedOrca on November 19th, 2023 at 02:15 UTC »
I think this is more widespread than they realize in this article.
My friend who is a vet in MN says they’ve been dealing with it for a while. They’ve actually shut down their waiting room again like they did for Covid, only this time it’s to protect the dogs.
Any dog that comes in with a cough is put into quarantine and they fully suit up when dealing with them.
They take samples each time for examination and don’t find any known illness.
They’ve lost several dogs to it recently
AD480 on November 19th, 2023 at 01:18 UTC »
My vet emailed this to all her clients today….
Over the past year, a new and unidentified respiratory illness has affected dogs across the United States. Recently, there have been case reports in the Portland metro area. So far, no cases have been reported in Washington, but the assumption is that the illness will spread up here, too.
Respiratory illness is common in dogs and is typically self-limiting and resolves without treatment. However, this new illness is more severe and can result in pneumonia that can quickly become serious. Unfortunately, since it is a new illness, researchers do not yet know what is causing it. The assumption is that it is spread by nose-to-nose contact, close proximity to coughing dogs, and/or shared water and food bowls. It does not appear to be passed to other species, just between dogs.
Until we know more, the best recommendations I can make are:
to keep your dogs away from group-dog situations, if possible
to make sure they are current on their vaccines (these vaccines unfortunately will not protect them against this new bug, but they will help protect dogs as best as we can from other respiratory viruses/bacteria out there)
to seek prompt veterinary care if your dog is experiencing cough, lethargy, or difficulty breathing.
Her office is in Vancouver, WA. So just across the Columbia River from Portland.