November 27th, 2023 | Jan Rosen, DVM, Medical Director
Dear Clients,
Many of you have heard about a new respiratory disease that vets are reporting in dogs. Not much is known about it, but a virus most likely causes it. It is not caused by the Influenza virus that caused the outbreak of pneumonia earlier this year.
In most cases, the dogs are having a cough that lasts a long time (6 to 8 weeks) and doesn’t resolve with antibiotics. A smaller group of dogs are getting more serious pneumonia. Death from the disease is uncommon but has occurred.
Our advice to you at this time is:
· Try to avoid contact between your dog and unfamiliar dogs.
· Try to avoid contact between your dog and sick dogs.
· If your dog is coughing, keep him or her away from other dogs.
· Don’t let your dog drink from communal water bowls.
· Keep your dog up to date on vaccines.
· Bring your dog in if he or she is coughing or having difficulty breathing.
Up to this point, there hasn’t been a notable rise in respiratory illnesses among our patients. Should there be any changes, we will keep you informed. Feel free to reach out if you have additional questions on this matter.