COLUMBUS, Ohio — A mysterious respiratory illness that is highly contagious and potentially fatal is spreading among dogs throughout the country.
Fourteen states have reported mysterious illness cases with symptoms similar to kennel cough. However, these illnesses do not respond to the usual treatments.
Health officials are working to determine what is causing the illness and what could help treat it.
Here’s what we know about the mysterious dog illness.
Where have cases been reported?
The canine illness has been reported in 14 states:
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
While not official, it is believed that there may have been cases among dogs in Ohio.
What are the symptoms?
The illness starts as a cough and a runny nose that can progress to severe pneumonia in some cases. Though the symptoms can be similar to a typical case of “kennel cough,” veterinarians say they haven’t been able to identify what’s causing the new respiratory illness.
What experts suggest
Nicole Headlee, the owner and lead veterinarian of Cedar Hill Animal Clinic in Westerville, is urging dog owners to take precautions.
“Stay away from dog parks and doggy daycare. Anywhere your dog can be in close contact with other dogs,” she said.
Headlee suggests that the best thing dog owners can do to ensure that their pet remains safe is for them to be up to date on all of their vaccines, including canine influenza, parainfluenza and Bordetella, or kennel cough.
While these vaccines may not target the unknown infection, “maintaining overall health through routine vaccinations can help support a dog’s immune system in combating various infections,” an article published by Colorado State University’s (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences says.
If you do have to board your pet, Headlee advises pet owners to select a facility that requires dogs to be vaccinated. Owners could also ask whether the facility has a plan to manage an outbreak if one would occur and if they have a veterinarian on standby.