Canine Epidemic? Mysterious Dog Illness Spreads to More Than a Dozen US States

The unknown canine respiratory illness was first reported over the summer, but has since reached 14 states across the US, reports have determined.

Dogs across the US have been falling ill to an unknown respiratory illness with similar symptoms to kennel cough and pneumonia, officials have warned.

Since mid-August, more than 200 cases of the illness have been reported in the state of Oregon alone. But now, cases of the respiratory infection have reached the states of Colorado, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, according to reports.

However, the unreported cases of sick pups could be much higher.

The symptoms of the illness include a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, dehydration, nasal and/or eye discharge, a loss of appetite, and lethargy. The “chronic mild-moderate tracheobronchitis” is not responsive to antibiotics, says the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The illness appears to last for 6 to 8 weeks, and in some cases can be lethal when and if the illness leads to pneumonia.

Similar to how humans experience the effects of COVID-19, the illness seems to spread in social gatherings amongst dogs, including: doggy day cares, boarding, dog parks, pet stores, and the grooming salons.

Researchers from the University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and the Hubbard Center Genome Studies told an American news outlet they believe they have discovered the pathogen responsible for making man's best friend ill.

After studying 70 dogs who were sick with the illness, they found a “funky bacterium” that is “smaller than a normal bacterium in its size and in the size of its genome.”

“It’s smaller than a normal bacterium in its size and in the size of its genome. Long story short, it’s a weird bacterium that can be tough to find and sequence,” said Dr. David Needle, the pathology section chief at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire.

The germ “is new as a potential cause of disease, but it is likely to be - or to have evolved from - a component of the dog microbiome,” he added.

“After initial sequencing showed there were no known viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens, time consuming and dogged work by graduate student Lawrence Gordon showed that 21 of the initial 30 samples from New Hampshire had some genetic material from one atypical bacterial species,” Needle said.

But researchers still aren't sure if this is the same bug causing widespread illnesses, and further research will have to be conducted to find a medicine able to tackle the contamination.

According to Needle, the disease is not always fatal, and the small percentage of dogs who have died thus far had underlying health issues prior to becoming ill.

For now, the AVMA has advised some steps that dog owners can take to prevent their companions from getting ill, including: making sure dogs are fully vaccinated, especially against kennel cough.

Owners should also avoid areas where their dog may socialize with other dogs including: dog parks, pet stores and grooming facilities, if possible. Boarding a pooch should also be avoided unless “absolutely necessary.”

In the event that an owner notices their dog is showing any signs or symptoms of the mysterious illness, officials are urging individuals to isolate their pup from other canines, and make an appointment with their dog's vet as soon as possible.