Introduction:
A new unknown respiratory illness in dogs seems to slowly be making its rounds around the continental United States, with patchy reports coming from the states of Oregon, Colorado, California, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Washington, Vermont, Maryland, Idaho, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Veterinarians are comparing the symptoms of this infection with “kennel cough,” a term used to describe virus or bacterial infections that cause sudden severe coughing. While a majority of dogs are not being infected with this new pathogen, the ones that do are not responding well to typical treatments and often deteriorate quickly. Strange illnesses like these remind us of the health dangers around us and how we and our pets need to be mindful about the environments we find ourselves in.
Current Research:
When the very first reports of this new illness cropped up, researchers immediately began looking into the potential causes. After sequencing the DNA and RNA of the pathogen, they found no match to anything already known. The DNA does appear to be closely related to a small obscurely known bacteria, Mycoplasma. While work is ongoing to learn more about this mystery bacterium, no one can say it’s the culprit just yet!
Safety Tips:
Staying informed: Before doing anything, you should contact your pet’s veterinarian or stay updated with your local news to figure out whether or not an outbreak of this respiratory illness is occurring in your area.
Disease detection: Look out for any symptoms of the illness, such as coughing, sneezing, lethargy, and runny eyes. If you think your pet has the disease, you can ask your veterinarian to conduct diagnostic testing and detect the disease.
Social distancing: Similar to Covid-19 and other respiratory infections, this mystery outbreak spreads in public areas, such as grooming shops, dog parks, and daycares. It’s recommended that pet owners stay cautious and distance themselves in these social areas, especially if their pet is more at risk of developing the illness.
Vaccination: The best way to keep your pet safe is by frequently visiting the veterinarian and ensuring your pet is up to date on all vaccinations. Whether that’s vaccinations against canine diseases, such as canine influenza, parvovirus, or kennel cough, these precautions ensure the health of your pet’s overall immune system.
Travel precautions: During the holiday season, traveling becomes commonplace. If you decide to bring your pet along, make sure they aren’t traveling with any symptoms or illnesses that may get exacerbated by the current outbreak. It’s also important to consider the dangers of air travel since environmental factors such as heat and stress can leave your pet more vulnerable to this new respiratory disease.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-causing-mysterious-respiratory-illness-in-dogs/
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