Dog owners from coast to coast are becoming more concerned as reports of a mysterious, highly contagious and potentially fatal canine disease continue to grow nationwide.
Veterinarians describe the illness as a respiratory disease similar to kennel cough that, in some cases, can transform into possible life-threatening pneumonia. However, the major concern with this mystery illness is that it does not respond to antibiotics and does not result in positive tests for known respiratory diseases.
Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, wheezing, runny nose, eye discharge, loss of appetite, dehydration, lethargy and fever.
The illness begins with a cough that lasts for two or three weeks and doesn't go away. The illness can rapidly progress into labored breathing and cause serious secondary infections like pneumonia.
"Clinical findings and tests completed to date suggest that most dogs with the unusual syndrome have a virus that primarily targets the respiratory system, leading to secondary bacterial infection and pneumonia in affected dogs," the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences said in an article.
Hundreds of cases have been reported in at least 14 states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington, USA Today reported.
At this point, researchers have been unable to identify the illness. The New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory has been testing samples from sick dogs in several different states but so far, they haven't been able to connect it to a specific cause.
"This early metagenomic work did not reveal any RNA or DNA virus of concern, and no typical fungal or bacterial respiratory pathogens were identified," the lab said in a statement. "The sequence data has revealed a non-culturable, bacterial-like organism, similar to Mycoplasma in a subset of the respiratory samples."
Other veterinarians and diagnostic laboratories across the country are working with state and federal agencies to decode the illness, which appears to be airborne and transmitted through contact.
Evidence at this point suggests that the illness is limited to dogs, though not breed specific. However, some dogs are more at risk than others -- including puppies, senior dogs and those with breathing issues, such as French bulldogs and Shih Tzus.
While the illness remains a mystery, veterinarians say you can still take a number of preventative measures to protect your dog.
• Avoid contact with other dogs -- that means a break on trips to the dog park, day care, boarding kennels and even the groomer
• Ensure your dog is up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by your veterinarian
• Clean regularly and disinfect surfaces, doorknobs, keyboards and animal equipment
• Keep a close eye on your pet for any symptoms
• Contact your veterinarian if your dog has clinical signs