Dog Respiratory Illness: What to Do if You Think Your Pet Has Symptoms

A mysterious respiratory illness is making its way around the United States and has so far been reported in 14 states. Experts are warning dog owners to be on the lookout for symptoms.

The illness—which has killed several dogs since it began circulating earlier this year—was first detected in Oregon but since then has spread to other states, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Before now, officials had reported the illness in 11 states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon and Rhode Island. As of Monday, cases of the illness have also been reported in Maryland, Washington and Vermont, making it present in 14 states in total.

What should you do if your dog has symptoms?

The AVMA advises dog owners to take their pets straight to the vet if they display any symptoms of the mysterious illness.

"Owners should monitor their dogs closely for progressive coughing that may be accompanied by signs of ocular or nasal discharges and sneezing," the president of the AVMA, Rena Carlson said in a statement sent to Newsweek. "Please consult your veterinarian immediately if those clinical signs develop, particularly if your dog concurrently loses its appetite, has trouble breathing, is coughing continuously, or is extremely lethargic."

The illness so far has been resistant to standard treatments. It also does not test positive for common respiratory pathogens, David Needle, pathology section chief at the University of New Hampshire's Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory (NHVDL), previously told Newsweek last week.

The Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences is currently looking into the virus, which in severe cases has led to pneumonia.

"Currently, the infectious agent is not known but is under investigation," Carlson said. "[The Oregon Department of Agriculture] says cases reported to that agency appear to primarily fall within three general clinical syndromes."

These syndromes are listed as: "Chronic mild-moderate tracheobronchitis with a prolonged duration (6-8 weeks or longer) that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics. Chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics. Acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24-36 hours."

On top of keeping a lookout for any concerning symptoms, the AVMA is advising dog owners to keep up to date with their dogs' vaccines.

"While the existing vaccines may not specifically target this unknown infection, maintaining overall health through routine vaccinations can help support a dog's immune system in combating various infections," the statement read.

States where the illness has been detected are working together to try and understand what may be going on, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources told Newsweek.

"The MA Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is aware of this issue and is working with our colleagues in neighboring states to better understand the factors at play," the spokesperson said. "We have encouraged Massachusetts veterinarians to retrieve test samples from affected dogs to send to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at UNH where officials there are trying to identify a specific cause. Kennel operators should be requiring vaccination and practicing good biosecurity to prevent future outbreaks."