12/08/2023
Because I've been seeing a ton of posts about the "new" respiratory illness going around for dogs, I wanted to touch briefly on this. Trusted sources of information in the comments.
Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC)¹ is not new and is better known as “kennel cough." It is spread through respiratory droplets of infected dogs, so areas where dogs are densely populated are places it can spread more easily.
What *is* new is that last summer, an atypical form of this manifested. The evidence² thus far has shown that the infection is lasting longer than usual, not responding as well to antibiotics, and sometimes developing into pneumonia. This fall Oregon reported² ~200 cases. This is what is going around the media and while they are making it out to be terrifying, that number is actually an extremely low percentage of Oregon's dog population and an even lower % of dogs in the USA as a whole. To put it in perspective, the population of dogs was estimated³ to be between 83.7- 88.9 million in 2020 (we can assume higher in 2023) which means that so far, only 0.0002% of dogs have been confirmed as getting sick, and even less than that are dying.
The American Veterinary Medical Association⁴ is suggesting *caution* rather than worry for dog owners. So what does that mean? Using discretion with the following things:
- Visiting places with high traffic of unfamiliar dogs (doggy day care, boarding, dog parks, pet stores, grooming salons)
- Engaging in playdates or letting your dog interact with unknown dogs
- Using communal water bowls in public places, unfamiliar toys left outside, or buying used bedding (wash it first!)
All that said, if you're worried about your dog, talk to your veterinarian!
Finally, the best protection⁵ against common respiratory infections are annual vaccines against Bordetella, Canine Adenovirus Type 2, and Canine Parainfluenza.
The TL;DR is, don't always believe what you read in mainstream media, always check with trusted medical sources like your vet, stop panicking, use common sense, and keep an eye on your dog's health like you have hopefully always done anyway. Much love and health to all of you and your pups 🩵
PS: No Arties were harmed in the taking of this joke photo and I promise he could breathe just fine 🤣
