Dog disease

[DaisyRose]

I was reading an article about a super contagious upper respiratory infection for dogs. I didn’t know if anyone has heard of it going around.

Canine respiratory disease outbreaks

Canine Respiratory Disease of Unknown Origin The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is investigating the canine respiratory syndrome through a rapid response research project funded by the Riney Canine Health Center. The project is based at the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic...

www.vet.cornell.edu

 

[Judge]

I have. A good time to sadly avoid dog parks in particular, which presently reflects a nasty exposure for dogs in general.

 

[Aspychata]

Is that the same as kennel cough? That is very contagious.

 

[DaisyRose]

Is that the same as kennel cough? That is very contagious.

They said it is worse than kennel cough. It’s really bad in my area. I’m trying to make this aware, so that people are cautious. It’s spreading quickly. I would describe it as COVID for dogs.

 

[Judge]

It hasn't really hit our state yet, but I suppose it's inevitable at some point.

"Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease."

MSN

 

[Mary Terry]

I have. A good time to sadly avoid dog parks in particular, which presently reflects a nasty exposure for dogs in general.

I heard about it, too. Dog lovers should avoid dog parks, boarding kennels, and taking their dogs with them to PetSmart to shop. In other words, don't take your dogs anywhere they are exposed to other dogs.

I miss @Luca - she would know all about this.

 

[Judge]

Very frustrating for my cousin's Blue Heeler, who was just getting used to being socialized at the dog parks. Wondering if a respite now will set her back in how she does around other dogs.

 

[Dagan]

I did hear about it, as my dogs had their yearly visits the past week. They don't know of any vaccine in the works just yet, either. I'm going to be mindful and call back in a few weeks to inquire about things. All good so far, though.

 

[Tom]

(I cut and pasted some info from USA Today)

Mysterious respiratory illness reported in dogs​

14 states now have reported cases of the respiratory illness afflicting dogs.​

Symptoms of mysterious dog disease:​

• Chronic mild-moderate tracheobronchitis − a sudden or long-term inflammation of the trachea and bronchial airways, according to Merck Veterinary Manual − lasting 6-8 weeks that is barely or non responsive to antibiotics.
• Chronic pneumonia not responsive to antibiotics.
• Acute pneumonia that quickly turns severe sometimes in as little as 24-36 hours.
• Difficulty or rapid breathing, wheezing, dehydration, fever, nasal or eye discharge, weight loss, loss of appetite and lethargy.

Treatments of mysterious dog illness​

Currently the treatment that dogs receive is symptomatic and supportive, Dr. Marta Vidal-Abarca, with Petkeen.com told USA TODAY.

"This means that, since the agent causing the infection has not been identified, the treatment is not aimed at killing any pathogen in particular," Vidal-Abarca said Monday. "Instead, the treatment is aimed at mitigating clinical signs and facilitating the dog’s recovery."

Treatment, Vidal-Abarca said, includes:

• Oxygen therapy.
• Use of a nebulizer (a drug delivery device used to administer medication in the form of a mist inhaled into the dog's lungs).
• Antibiotics (to treat secondary infection).
• Measures to ensure the dog has "adequate nutrition" and hydration (including the use of intravenous fluids).

How is the illness spread?​

Although the exact transmission of the disease remains unknown, University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory senior veterinary pathologist David Needle said he believes the illness, which causes chronic respiratory problems, is likely spread through close contact and breathing in the same air as an infected animal.

Needle, who told USA TODAY he has been studying the illness for more than a year at the school's Hubbard Center for Genome Research, said the disease is not always fatal and so far, the dogs who contracted it and died had underlying issues.

Needle said he and a team from the university have been studying samples from Oregon, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island and are slated to begin receiving samples from Colorado and Illinois this week.

{I am confused as to how Needle has been studying it for a year while elsewhere in article is says the disease began in August in Oregon. Will dig a bit deeper. DaisyRose's comment as to thinking of it like a Covid for dogs seems pretty accurate. It seems very similar. I suppose it is unlikely but it does make you wonder if covid could jump to dogs.}

 

[Darkkin]

There was a similar outbreak of canine 'flu' in Michigan and Texas about this same time last year. A majority those afflicted were shelters and rescues. (Animals already potentially compromised through no fault of their own.)

Dogs most significantly affected have been from multi-dog households (4 - 9 animals) and boarded in high dog density areas, (kennels/daycare) over an extended period of time 7 - 14 days.

Something to note is that endemic parvovirus has a much greater contagion and fatality rate (91% in puppies, 10% in adult dogs). People are freaking out because of the media headlines, rather than reading articles in their entirety. Less than 4.4% of dogs in the hotbed areas are being affected and of that 4.4% less than 2% are dealing with complications resulting in pet loss. 90% of the 4.4% of dogs infected show mild to moderate symptoms and don't require inpatient vet care.

Keeping your pets up to date on vaccinations and be mindful of cold and flu season for dogs, too.

People often skip on annual boosters and flea, tick, and parasite protection. The fatality rate of endemic lyme disease in dogs is 1 in every 5 dogs infected.

There are bigger monsters closer to home that we often overlook because they are familiar.

 

[Dagan]

I guess, I'll be the one to say it...but it's pretty much sounding like a canine covid. It seems to be an auto-immune virus that crashes the immune systems while also probably being introduced by the common cold virus at the same time. Piggy-backing viruses, essentially. The cold virus does its usual thing finding a host, the auto-immune virus that hitched a ride then takes the forefront and kicks in way faster, and then a bit after the immune system of the host is dwindled, the cold virus can run rampant like never before. The other obvious issue being that whatever medical issue(s) the host's working immune systems had also been holding / fighting off this entire time, well, it goes rampant just the same, and it may be what becomes fatal, even.

I'm definitely going to keep posted and alert about this.