11/29/2023
Unfortunately this is something we never want to happen or ever anticipates,
Please use your best judgement and if you notice any symptoms at all please call your vet.
We have unfortunately had several cases of different types of "upper respiratory" stuff going on and with the holidays I know this is terrible timing 😞
We are deep cleaning literally through out the day to try to eliminate what we can unfortunately with an airborn illness there's only so much we can do.
We will remain open, but it is your judgement to bring your dog or not. We never want anyone to get sick or want this to be the case but it is😭
Please free to call or message if you have any questions or concerns. Or call your vet
Canine upper respiratory infection information:
By now, if you haven’t been living under a rock, or in bed with a nasty COVID infection like me, you’ve heard of the “New! Unknown Canine Upper Respiratory disease sweeping the nation!!!” And yes. That is said with somewhat of a smirk. 😏 My simple advice is don’t panic. Wait for more information. And, use good old common sense.
1) Don’t panic…. There is not enough information out there to say what this is…. IF it is actually new, OR a new variant on an old disease, OR the same old URIs that plague dogs from time to time. (Or D) all of the above 😉) Don’t get swept up in the media frenzy. That’s what media does. They sensationalize things. Don’t buy in…
2) Wait for more information…. Yep. Be patient. Please, take comfort in knowing that there are a LOT of veterinary experts working to solve this puzzle. Keep calm and stick to facts from reputable sources.
I’ve included a link in the comments to a blog from Dr Scott Weese, a veterinary infectious disease expert. I really like his approach and communicative style… plus, he’s an expert…
As a veterinarian, our job is to help you and your pet. We are sharing information and working to figure out what is happening and how best to treat it. Let us do our job. Patience…
3)Use good old common sense…. This is an infectious disease, no matter what it is, so keep your dog away from other dogs if you want to be extremely cautious. Keep to small known dog groups, if you want to be cautious but careful.
If it hits, it will most likely affect the larger grooming, boarding and daycare facilities and dog parks first. (Shelters are never a good place for your dog to be due to the always elevated risk of infectious diseases and the shifting large dog population at shelters) it’s simple math… More dogs equals more probability of exposure. It could definitely affect a smaller group, but obviously on a smaller scale… Less dogs exposed equals less dogs sick… Less dogs equals less probability of exposure.
BUT KEEP IN MIND… We can not stop the spread of an infectious disease without isolating of all infectious individuals away from others. If we can not tell a dog is infectious which is the case with most respiratory infections, we will not be able to isolate them. All it takes is one infected individual without symptoms, for this to spread in a group.
In ANY upper respiratory infection, realize that the most AT RISK population are the very young, the very old, the sick, and the immune suppressed. (And some say the brachiocephalics (squish face breeds)are more susceptible.) This risk group has not changed in my 27 years of practice. If your pet falls into one of these populations, your dog has always been at risk. You just may not have known it. Unless you listen to drug commercials on a daily basis and can recite risk factors by hearing a drug jingle. See 1) Don’t panic and 2) wait for more Information ….
We are all exposed to varieties of infectious diseases every day. Should we live our lives differently knowing that we can potentially get seriously ill at any moment??? I can’t speak for anyone but me…. I approach all disease with common sense, and a sense of faith. I do what I need to do to protect myself, try and keep healthy. And I don’t worry about what I can not control. I have the same approach for my pets.
My common sense recommendations are:
Dont take your dog to a shelter or have them unrestrained in any way that may lead them to getting lost and in a shelter. That one’s easy for the most part. Most good dog companions dont put their canine friends in compromising situations…
Don’t go to dog parks. Take your dogs for a fun filled human/dog experience instead.
Board/Day care if you need to. It IS the holidays. Pet sitters and pet walkers would be the best scenario. Smaller facilities might be better than larger facilities (maybe). Have a backup plan in case your boarding facility closes due to infection. And frankly, ask your boarding facility what their plan is, in case of infection.
Groom when you need to. (Grooming is important! We learned during the whole COVID shutdown how lack of grooming can really hurt some dogs…. Nails growing into pads…. Butts matted closed with poo… ears painfully infected…Yep, those all happened….) Mobile services are probably safer. Smaller facilities may be better than larger.(Again, maybe…) Communicate with them on if they have a plan or not if they experience any infectious disease outbreak.
Keep your dog up to date on vaccines. Bordetella intranasal or intraoral every 6 months (4 months if they are exposed). BTW, those vaccines are effective within 12 hours of administration. Canine influenza Bivalent vaccine. (This one takes 2-4 weeks to be effective so plan ahead) Especially if your pet is in a high risk group. Call for availability, the influenza vaccine is going on back order off and on…
If your pet gets sick with an upper respiratory illness… If they are coughing, but otherwise healthy, eating, active etc. Call us. If your pet is coughing, not eating well, lethargic. Call us. If your pet is having difficulty breathing, a very high respiratory rate, vomiting/not eating/not drinking, extremely lethargic, collapsing etc… Go directly to an emergency room, urgent care facility or open general veterinary practice. You can call us on the way, but don’t delay care. (Please be patient with all emergency and urgent care facilities, they will get you in when they can, and send you elsewhere if that is better for your pet) But, please please please dont just barge in our waiting rooms with a potential infectious patient. Call us from the parking lot. We are happy to communicate with you and arrange for them to come in without exposing other pets. And, please, don’t board or groom or have your dog around other dogs if they are sick…
No one wants your pet to get sick. Unfortunately, life happens along the way. And sometimes life throws curveballs… I was supposed to travel to Louisiana and spend a nice long holiday weekend with my family… Instead, I spend a really NOT nice longer weekend in my bed with COVID. Yay. Curveball. Such is life….
So, as our lives continue in the face of something that our dogs may or may not catch…. Don’t panic. Prepare for what you can prepare for. And enjoy the life that you have…. curveballs and all. (Today, personally, I am grateful for my husband, my puppies, and a really comfy bed and couch…. And green tea…)
I’ll be back at the clinic tomorrow. We are here for you and your pet… ❤️🐾❤️🐾❤️
