Mystery Canine Illness Continues To Spread, Sickening Dogs In More Than A Dozen States

Cases of the serious illness were confirmed in Florida and Georgia this week.

A mysterious and potentially deadly canine respiratory illness that caused chaos in Oregon over the summer is now sickening thousands of dogs in more than a dozen U.S. states, experts warn.

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President Dr. Rena Carlson, told USA Today on Monday that cases of the disease have been confirmed in 14 states, including Florida and Georgia. The cause of the illness, which appears resistant to most antibiotics, remains under investigation.

The disease has been linked to cases of severe pneumonia in dogs and some fatalities, though exact numbers are unknown.

According to the AVMA, common symptoms of the respiratory illness in dogs include:

• Difficulty or rapid breathing, wheezing, dehydration, fever, nasal or eye discharge, weight loss, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

• Chronic mild to moderate inflammation of the trachea lasting six to eight weeks or longer, which is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.

• Chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.

• Acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours.
  

David Needle, New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory senior veterinary pathologist, told USA Today that he believes the mystery illness is spread through close contact and “breathing in the same air as an infected animal.” Though highly contagious, he noted that the disease is rarely fatal, and so far, every dog who has died from it has had “underlying issues.”

Needle shared a similar message with NPR. "In our experience, this is not a high mortality syndrome,” he said, “but there is a subset of animals, it appears, that will develop acute and severe pneumonia and can die.”

To help keep your beloved pups safe, start by making sure they are fully vaccinated—especially for kennel cough. Dog parks, pet stores, and grooming facilities should also be avoided if possible. Experts also recommend only boarding your dog when “absolutely necessary.”

Most importantly, if your dog shows any signs of respiratory issues, contact your vet immediately. Pups that show symptoms should be kept isolated from other animals until they’re healthy.

It’s a scary time for dog parents, but Needle warned against panic.

"I think caution, not fear," he told NPR. "If you can be conservative in spreading your dog around with other dogs, you're probably going to put yourself in a better position to not have to deal with this."

This is a developing story.

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