Mystery illness affecting thousands of dogs. Should North Texas pet owners be concerned?

Over the past few weeks, calls have been flooding into the Animal Emergency Hospital of North Texas.

Each person has been calling about the same thing — the mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs.

The illness, atypical canine infectious respiratory disease complex, has caused dogs to fall sick in 16 states.

States with confirmed cases:

California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

Although there are no confirmed cases currently in Texas, should North Texas dog owners be concerned?

What we know

Dr. Diane McGee, medical director with Animal Emergency Hospital of North Texas, has tested for various respiratory illnesses in dogs in 30-plus years of practice as a veterinarian.

With the help of the respiratory disease panel for canines, she has been able to detect pathogens commonly attributed to respiratory disease in dogs, including Bordetella bronchiseptica and parainfluenza virus.

This illness is different, she said.

“Part of the thing that’s been happening with this new mystery illness is by the time dogs get into the veterinarian or the emergency hospital to get a test, it pops up as a negative result,” McGee said.

Cases of the disease began to pop up at animal emergency hospitals and clinics toward the end of the summer in New Hampshire, Colorado and Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has documented more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August, according to the Associated Press.

Veterinarians have not been able to identify the cause of the illness, but it is thought to spread through close contact and breathing in the same air as an infected dog.

The illness could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection that may be good at evading dog’s immune systems, according to researchers at the University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory and the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies.

Symptoms include difficulty or rapid breathing, dehydration, fever, wheezing, nasal or eye discharge, loss of appetite and weight loss. Other symptoms include mild and or moderate tracheobronchitis and chronic pneumonia not responsive to antibiotics.

Some cases of pneumonia progress quickly and can make dogs very sick within 24 to 36 hours, but not all cases are fatal. Dogs have died, but it’s difficult to put a number on how many since there is no clear way to define the disease or test for it, said McGee.

“Because this isn’t a reportable disease, it’s hard to know how many cases are really out there,” she said.

Since September, cases of the illness haven’t drastically spiked, so there’s nothing at the moment that is indicating a national outbreak. The Animal Emergency Hospital of North Texas is keeping its eye for possible cases in Texas, said McGee.

“There haven’t been very many cases at all,” she said. “They trended back down to normal in those areas, and it’s kind of stayed that way since then, but the reports continue to circulate.”

Several holiday dog events have been canceled in Fort Worth over fear of the spread of the disease.

Dena Lewis, public relations manager with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, said Dog Days events are canceled until further notice “out of an abundance of caution for our canine friends.”

What dogs are at a higher risk?

Flat-faced dog breeds such as French bulldogs or pugs, senior dogs or dogs with underlying lung disease are more at risk of developing pneumonia from a respiratory infection.

“Any time there’s an illness like this, you might have a senior dog or one that’s immunocompromised that doesn’t have the same disease process ability,” she said.

What you can do

McGee encourages dog owners to avoid contact with sick dogs and make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations, especially for kennel cough. Vaccinations are especially important for those planning to travel with their pets during the holiday season, said McGee.

While existing vaccines may not specifically target the mysterious infection, they help support your dog’s immune system.

Pet owners should avoid public dog spaces, including shelters, groomers, training facilities and parks, because outbreaks of infectious respiratory diseases often spread in these locations. Groomers and boarding facilities should not allow dogs to share food and water bowls.

Concerned pet owners can call Fort Worth emergency veterinary hospitals to find out if there has been an increase in respiratory infections before coming in for treatment.

Many dogs will be able to recover on their own. But, if your dog starts to show any serious signs of respiratory issues, contact your veterinarian to seek the appropriate treatment.

“Dog owners should call their vet instead of just walking in the front door,” said McGee. “If we know you’re coming with a respiratory case, we can get your pet into isolation before they expose other pets.”

David Moreno is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.

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