Dogs Are Coming Down With An Unusual Respiratory Illness In Several US States

Veterinary laboratories in multiple states are looking into an odd respiratory ailment in dogs and urging consumers to take simple precautions to keep their pets healthy while vets strive to figure out what’s wrong.

Oregon, Colorado, and New Hampshire have all experienced the infection, which has caused long-term respiratory problems and pneumonia and is resistant to medications. Coughing, sneezing, nasal or ocular discharge, and lethargy are all respiratory infection symptoms in dogs. Some cases of pneumonia advance quickly, causing dogs to become quite ill within 24 to 36 hours.

Dogs Are Coming Down With An Unusual Respiratory Illness In Several US States

Since mid-August, the Oregon Department of Agriculture has reported more than 200 disease cases. It has urged pet owners to contact their veterinarian if their dog becomes ill and directed state vets to report cases as quickly as possible.

The agency is collaborating with state researchers and the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory to determine the source of the infections.

According to Kurt Williams, director of Oregon State University’s Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, dogs have died. However, without a precise definition of the sickness or a test for it, he said it’s difficult to estimate how many people died from a severe form of the virus.

Williams’ message to dog owners was simple: “Don’t panic.” He also advised dog owners to keep their pets’ immunizations up to date, including those that protect against certain respiratory infections.

As they try to identify the culprit, labs around the country have been sharing their findings.

Dogs Are Coming Down With An Unusual Respiratory Illness In Several US States

David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire’s New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, has been researching the unusual ailment for nearly a year.

His group and colleagues at the university’s Hubbard Center for Genome Research have examined samples from canines in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and more will be arriving from Oregon, Colorado, and probably other states shortly.

He stated that his team has not witnessed a significant increase in the number of dogs dying from the sickness, but he nonetheless advised pet owners to “reduce contact with other dogs.”

SOURCE – (AP)