The Oregon Department of Agriculture tells that it does not know how many dogs have died from the illness in the state. "We've seen a handful of them in the past weeks to months." How many dogs have died from the mystery illness?īecause most states are not tracking case numbers, it's not known exactly how many dogs have died from the illness. Maybe I would see one case a year," Cavanagh says. "That really bad pneumonia, historically, is very, very rare. But of those who develop the severe pneumonia, some have died or had to be euthanized. Of the dogs she's treated, she says most who develop pneumonia respond to antibiotics, and many with a long-lasting cough recover with time and never get pneumonia. In a small subset of these dogs, the pneumonia can be "really severe," she explains. Recently, she's seen more dogs than usual with a long-lasting upper respiratory infection who then develop pneumonia from a secondary bacterial infection. Severe pneumonia that "often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours"Ĭavanagh has witnessed all three scenarios play out at her hospital.Chronic pneumonia that doesn't respond to antibiotics.Mild to moderate cough for six to eight weeks or longer that either doesn't respond to antibiotics or only responds a little. ![]() In its press release, the Oregon Department of Agriculture noted that the illness can progress in three ways: "But this year, the spike has stayed high," she explains. While dogs with a contagious cough are common in veterinary settings, Cavanagh notes that she normally sees cases decrease in the fall as temperatures drop and fewer dogs are gathering at parks. She estimates her caseload of coughing dogs has doubled over the past month or so. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, in Fort Collins, Colorado, tells this past summer she started seeing cases of dogs with coughs lasting several weeks or longer, and the trend has continued into the fall. ![]() Amanda Cavanagh, head of urgent care services at Colorado State University James L. The Colorado Department of Agriculture also shared that "veterinarians (in the state) are currently reporting that they are seeing double the number of cases than what is typically seen during a canine infectious respiratory disease outbreak."ĭr. Michael Lappin, director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine, told NBC News the number of canine pneumonia cases in the state rose by 50% between September and November 2023 compared to 2022.Īccording to pet insurance company Trupanion, claims for dogs with respiratory illness are on the rise in several states.ĭogs are most likely to contract the mystery illness by being in close contact with numerous other dogs - so places like day care, dog parks, groomers or boarding kennels, Ganzer explains.īetween mid-August and mid-November, the Oregon Department of Agriculture has received reports of over 200 cases of the illness from veterinarians in the state, and they're still coming in. One of the distinguishing characteristics of this mystery illness outbreak is the high number of dogs who are developing pneumonia. Typically, dogs with respiratory illnesses have a cough for seven to 10 days, but some vets have seen an uptick in dogs with coughs lasting weeks to months that don't respond to treatment, the Colorado Department of Agriculture said in a Nov. What is the mystery dog illness?ĭogs with this mystery illness usually have coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge, are abnormally tired, and do not test positive for any common causes of canine respiratory illness, the Oregon Department of Agriculture noted in a Nov. But stay vigilant about its progression and your pet's overall health, and contact your vet right away if anything seems off. If your dog develops a cough, do not panic, the AVMA advises. That's why many veterinarians are urging dog owners to keep their canines out of boarding facilities, groomers and anywhere else dogs tend to gather in groups for the time being. ![]() Ganzer notes that the illness seems to be affecting dogs regardless of age, size or breed, but it's most common in dogs who recently spent time with other dogs, such as at a kennel or doggy day care. She's lost at least four dogs to the illness, but they all had severe pneumonia by the time she started treating them. At one point, two or three dogs a day with a mysterious cough would come to her hospital, and most needed hospitalization. Ganzer says she's seen over 30 dogs with what she believes to be the condition since October. We are using our isolation ward heavily with all of these infections." 20 segment on TODAY that she's seen "a plethora of these infections and it's concerning. Gina Kettig, veterinarian at VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver, said in a Nov.
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