A veterinarian is best able to assess concerns about your pet’s health. If you need immediate assistance, please call poison control or an emergency vet.
A mysterious respiratory illness has sickened hundreds of dogs in multiple states. The illness is characterized by symptoms similar to kennel cough, but with a more severe progression. Symptoms include:
- Dry hacking cough
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Nasal or eye discharge
- Lethargy
- Fever
- Intermittent loss of appetite
The illness has led to hospitalizations and the deaths of older dogs or those with health issues. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has documented more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August.
The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association said symptoms include:
- A chronic mild to moderate cough that lasts at least six to eight weeks
- Chronic pneumonia or acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe
Dog owners should make sure that their pets are up to date on vaccines, including those that protect against various respiratory illnesses.
“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,” Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally don’t test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.
“Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease,” Needle said. “We think these may represent secondary infections.”
Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.
“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.
He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.
While the news may be concerning, “We suggest caution rather than worry,” the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association’s website says.
While this particular disease is unusual, “Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets,” the association said.
“Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”
