Michigan’s top veterinarian offers guidance as mystery dog illness spreads across U.S. - MLive.com

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LANSING, MI – State officials are encouraging dog owners in Michigan to remain vigilant about their pets’ health as a mysterious illness spreads across the United States.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development sent out a notice on Wednesday even though the atypical respiratory illness has not been reported in Michigan.

Cases have been reported in 14 states, including Oregon, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington,

“While the exact cause of this illness remains unknown, taking some basic steps to prevent a dog’s exposure to harmful germs can go a long way to protecting their overall health,” said State Veterinarian Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM.

“If owners notice respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge) in their dogs, it is important to reach out to their veterinarian early on in their animal’s illness so diagnostic testing can be completed and an appropriate course of treatment can begin.”

In general, the illness is contagious, spreading among dogs that have contact with other dogs. The only way to distinguish between the multiple causes of infectious respiratory disease in dogs is through early diagnostic testing.

Signs of the disease include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Coughing may persist for weeks to months, and severe forms of the disease can progress to life-threatening pneumonia, state officials said.

“Because common respiratory illnesses (i.e., kennel cough) in dogs is generally self-limiting, veterinarians may not routinely perform diagnostic testing. However, performing testing early on can serve multiple purposes,” said MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory director Kimberly Dodd, DVM, MS, PhD.

“If a more common cause of illness is found, it may give owners peace of mind. Based on the diagnosis, clinicians can better predict the course of illness and administer antibiotics when warranted. If routine diagnostics are negative, having acute samples can help us as we try to identify the cause of this atypical respiratory illness.”

Veterinarians are interested in pursuing testing for an animal can contact the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for advice and assistance at 517-353-1683.

To best keep Michigan’s dogs safe and healthy, MDARD strongly encourages owners to:

Work with their veterinarian to ensure their dog is up to date on routine vaccinations.
Make sure their dog is fully vaccinated before interacting with other dogs.
Avoid food and water bowls shared by multiple unknown dogs.
Contact their veterinarian if their dog is exhibiting any signs of illness and keep their dog at home and away from other dogs.
Keep their dog away from dogs that are sick or whose vaccination status is unknown.

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