What are the symptoms of the mystery illness killing dogs? Safeguard measures explored amid concerning trend

The spread of a highly contagious mystery illness, affecting the respiratory system in dogs has left pet owners concerned. They are being advised by veterinarians to keep their dogs away from parks and boarding facilities.

Several animal shelters and veterinarians in different parts of the United States have reported this unknown contagion which is also causing fatal respiratory illness in the pets.

The vets said that most of the primary symptoms are similar to that of kennel cough, such as runny nose, loss of appetite, eye discharge, lethargy, and low fever. However, this mystery illness lasts weeks, leading to potential cases of acute or fatal pneumonia, while kennel cough clears up within two weeks.

In most cases, if the dog is treated while at the beginning of catching pneumonia, it can be treated and cured with antibiotics, but in severe cases, these medications are not enough.

Dr. Amanda Cavanagh from the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital spoke about the disease with Scripps News Denver and said that the number of dogs suffering from coughs has increased by 50%.

She added:

“Some of these dogs come in with a very sudden onset of pneumonia signs, and they are very sick. They require mechanical ventilation, so a breathing tube with a machine breathing for them. And many of those dogs are actually passing away or benign euthanized because of this really severe, fast-moving, really intense pneumonia.”

---

Precautionary measures adopted to prevent the new mystery illness in dogs

This mystery illness was first reported in Oregon's Willamette Valley in August when the state’s Department of Agriculture was met with more than a hundred written reports about the illness from vets. Cases of this contagion gradually spread further west. It led to the San Diego Humane Society briefly pausing the addition of dogs with owners until December to prevent it from spreading further.

Stephen Kochis, the chief medical officer of the Oregon Humane Society (OHS) said that despite the increased number of cases particularly within Portland and Salem, his team has not yet noticed anything unusual. However, his team is bracing for any future difficulty as the number of kennel cough reports is higher than what was expected to be during the winter and fall. The OHS is working hard to ensure the safety of the pets.

According to Kochis, this mystery illness is concerning due to its complex and mystifying nature. He described it as a disease that does not adhere to the typical symptoms of ailments seen in dogs, thus making it difficult to diagnose.

While the illness has the potential to result in mortality, Stephen Kochis said that pet owners should not be worried about the situation at this stage. He stated:

“At this point in time, while there does appear to be an over-representation of these cases beyond what would be expected, the information to date does not indicate a widespread outbreak. Further to that, a new respiratory infectious agent has yet to be identified.”

There are still a lot of factors to unfold about this mystery illness. Kochis advised that dog owners should immediately take their dogs to a veterinarian if they show any signs of cough, breathing issues, or sneezing.

He further added that a symptomatic dog who is yet to be assessed by a vet should be kept in isolation inside the house so that it does not come into contact with other dogs, especially puppies.