AP | | Posted by Akanksha Agnihotri
Veterinary labs in several states are investigating a rare respiratory disease in dogs, and as veterinarians try to determine the cause of canine illness, basic precautions can be taken to keep your pet healthy. We encourage people to take the following steps: Cases of the disease have been confirmed in Oregon, Colorado and New Hampshire, causing persistent respiratory illness and pneumonia that is resistant to antibiotics. Symptoms of respiratory illness in dogs include coughing, sneezing, runny nose and eyes, and fatigue. Some cases of pneumonia progress rapidly and the dog becomes critically ill within 24 to 36 hours. (Also read: Delhi Pollution: How to keep your pets safe as air quality declines )
The Oregon Department of Agriculture has recorded more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. The state encouraged owners to contact their veterinarians if their dogs become ill, and asked state veterinarians to report cases as soon as possible. The agency is working with state researchers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory to determine the cause of the disease.
Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University, said the dog died. But he said it was difficult to put numbers on how many people had died from severe infections because there was no clear way to define or test the disease.
Williams had a simple message for dog owners: “Don’t panic.” He also said dog owners should make sure their pets have up-to-date vaccinations, including those that protect against various respiratory diseases. Labs across the country are sharing their findings to help identify the culprit.
David Needle, a senior veterinary pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, has been investigating this mysterious disease for almost a year. His lab and colleagues at the university’s Hubbard Genome Research Center are examining samples from dogs in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and more from Oregon, Colorado, and perhaps other states. Dog samples will be collected.
He said his team has not seen a significant increase in dogs dying from the disease, but is still encouraging owners to “reduce their contact with other dogs.”
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