Some dogs develop a cough that doesn’t seem to go away.
A mysterious respiratory illness in dogs appears to be spreading, with cases reported in two more states.
This week, Nevada and Pennsylvania reported cases of atypical canine infectious respiratory diseases. A total of 16 states have reported cases of illness.
Although the cause of the respiratory illness is unknown, some veterinarians advise owners not to expose their dogs to other coughing dogs, to ensure their dogs are up to date on their vaccinations, and to take extra precautions when They’re traveling this holiday season.
Last month, veterinarians began sounding the alarm when they noticed a growing number of dogs coughing.
Dog Owner Opens Up About Mysterious Illness
Wendy Brown’s three golden retrievers – Bridge, Dooley and Lulu – were among the dogs who began showing symptoms in November.
“Dooley started blowing like that and also seemed to be feeling pretty lethargic,” Brown recalled to “Good Morning America.” “Shortly after, Bridge started showing symptoms. But his were stronger, noisier. I thought it was his stomach because it was like vomiting.”
Initially, Brown thought her animals had typical kennel cough, but when their symptoms didn’t subside, she knew it was something more serious.
“The vet gave him a 10-day course of doxycycline. Today was day 10 and he’s not doing much better,” Brown said.
Brown, an Idaho resident, said she still isn’t sure what could have caused her dogs’ illness in the first place.
What are the symptoms of the mysterious respiratory illness in dogs?
While research is ongoing, veterinarians say this mysterious disease is highly contagious and can be fatal. The symptoms reported so far are also typical of kennel cough and include coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, lethargy, fever, runny nose and/or eyes, and loss of appetite.
“Instead of this dry cough where the dog felt fine, it was now this wet cough where the dog felt sick,” said Amanda Cavanagh, section head of the emergency care department at Veterinary University Hospital. from Colorado State, to “GMA”.
Experts like Cavanagh said any dog showing signs of constant coughing should be taken to a veterinarian to be examined.
“We can do an ultrasound of the lungs to see if there is a problem related to pneumonia or contagious pneumonia that seems to be running rampant,” Cavanagh said.
Cavanagh also recommends keeping dogs with coughs away from other dogs and for two weeks after the cough has subsided.