The City of West Hollywood says it recently announced that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has received several reports of dogs suffering from a sudden respiratory illness of unknown origin. Symptoms in dogs include coughing, runny nose, sneezing and lethargy.
Along the same lines, the Vanderpump Dog Foundation canceled its World Dog Day 2023 event, which was scheduled to take place at West Hollywood Park on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The cancellation was made to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to protect the health and well-being of dogs . The event is expected to be postponed to 2024.
Currently, Los Angeles County Public Health is in case finding mode to determine if and to what extent there is a novel respiratory illness affecting dogs in Los Angeles County and is communicating with federal and state entities to ensure coordination some efforts.
According to Los Angeles County Public Health, the respiratory disease affecting dogs is currently known as atypical canine infectious respiratory disease (aCIRD). Cases are currently defined as having a negative canine respiratory PCR test panel, which tests for common viruses and bacteria identified in dogs with similar symptoms, as well as one of the following clinical scenarios:
- Mild to moderate chronic respiratory infection that lasts more than six weeks and responds poorly or not to antibiotics;
- Chronic pneumonia that responds little or not to antibiotics; Or
- Acute pneumonia that quickly becomes serious and often results in poor outcomes in just 24 to 36 hours.
Given the lack of knowledge about the cause of this illness, LA County Public Health advises dog owners to look for symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose and lethargy in their dogs. If a dog exhibits these symptoms, owners should take the following steps:
- Contact their pet’s veterinarian so that their pet can be evaluated and, if indicated, appropriate tests and medications can be provided.
- Isolate sick dogs at home for at least 28 days after the first day of illness onset. Dogs exposed to the sick dog should be quarantined at home and away from other dogs for 14 days to monitor for signs and symptoms of illness.
- Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces, door handles, keyboards and pet equipment. To disinfect, use an EPA-registered disinfectant product or a stronger bleach solution.
- Keep the dog home and away from daycare, kennels, grooming facilities and dog parks.
- If a dog becomes ill after being boarded or in a facility, owners should take the dog to a veterinarian for evaluation and they should also notify the facility of the illness.
At this time, the City of West Hollywood will maintain regular operations and cleaning for William S. Hart Dog Park And Dog parks at West Hollywood Park, keeping them open. Advisory information on atypical canine infectious respiratory diseases (aCIRD) will be posted in these areas of the park. The City will maintain close contact with LA County Public Health on this matter in the event local officials determine that additional action should be taken.
For more information about the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, please contact media@ph.lacounty.gov or (213) 240-8144. For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, please call the City of West Hollywood TTY line at (323) 848-6496.
For up-to-date information on West Hollywood City news and events, follow @wehocity on social networksRegister for news update has www.weho.org/emailand visit the City calendar meetings and events www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City hall services are accessible by telephone at (323) 848-6400 and via the website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.
For reporters and members of the media interested in additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact City of West Hollywood Public Information Officer Sheri A. Lunn at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org or City of West Hollywood Communications Director Joshua Schare at (323) 848-6431 or jschare@weho.org.