11/26/2023
ATYPICAL CANINE RESPIRATORY DISEASE COMPLEX
What we currently do and don’t know:
Recently, there have been increased reports of respiratory disease in dogs across the United States, in many different locations, including Southern California. Most dogs have a minor cough like syndrome, although some dogs are much more severely afflicted, with a few actual fatalities. It is not known, at the time of this writing, what infectious disease is causing this, or if this is even an infectious disease that is causing this problem. Many veterinary infectious disease experts are also wondering if this problem is being created by the same infectious agent or other causes in all of these different reported cases (https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/). These dogs in general are testing negative for canine influenza and other common respiratory disease agents.
What can we do as pet owners:
1. If possible, try to avoid having your dog congregate where there is a large population of dogs together I.e. a boarding facility, groomer, or dog shows. This is easier said than done, especially at this time of year and with all our travel plans. If our dog need grooming, as many of our pets do, try to leave your dog for as short a time as possible at the groomer.
2. At this point, we recommend making sure your dog is up to date on all its vaccines, including Bordatella and Influenza. While I do not have evidence that any of these viruses and bacteria are directly to blame for these respiratory outbreaks, immunizing your dog against these diseases should at least decrease the risk of secondary infections (or “comorbidities”), and give your dog a better chance of remaining healthy overall.
3. If your dog has a cough, wheeze and/or sneeze lasting more than one day, please let us know, so we may advise you on appropriate next steps.
Thanks and best wishes, Larry Downes, DVM and staff.
Virus-free.www.avast.com
