A New Dog Illness To Watch For
Dog-specific pathogens are nothing new for pet owners. Kennel Cough and Dog Flu have been around for awhile now. However, last summer something new started making your four legged friends sick.
A “funky” canine respiratory illness started spreading in New Hampshire. Dogs were sneezing, coughing, and consistently had discharge coming from their eyes. The cough itself was more severe than normal and resistant to normal firms of treatment.
Overall, the illness does not seem to be fatal when treated by a vet. But in some rare cases, if left unattended, could develop into pneumonia and advance into something more dangerous for your pet.
Over the summer of 2022 cases of the new pathogen showed up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Now, going into the winter 2023, vets are seeing similar illnesses in Colorado, Illinois, and Oregon.
Dogs who contract this new disease could have it for weeks or even months. Which is a lot compared to something like kennel cough which typically lasts 10 days. Vets are still gathering information about this and most likely won’t know more for awhile because of how new this bacteria is. Even though this is a new disease, keeping your pets vaccinations up to date should help avoid things like pneumonia
So, what should you do to protect your pet? If they start showing signs: coughing, sneezing, and discharge from their eyes. Contact your vet as soon as possible at the minimum. An easy way to passively protect them is to shift your dog’s activities from daycares and dog parks to walks and hikes. Just like with humans, I closed spaces and tight quarters increase the chances of infection.
If you would like to get your dog out on more walks or private hikes in an effort to avoid this new respiratory illness, get in touch with Due North Dogs. We can help you avoid crowded daycares and busy dog parks to keep your pup happy, exercised, and away from potential viruses!
Colin Carlton, Owner- Due North Dogs
