Canine Respiratory Illness in Dogs

Last Blog Edit Made: 12/09/23 at 8:30 AM

Saturday, December 9th, 2023:

There has been some additional information that has been shared about the canine respiratory illness. 

First, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) has an article that adds to everything we know so far and what we can be on the lookout for when it comes to this illness. Second, Trupanion has shared an article that goes with their open panel discussion they had on Thursday, November 2nd.

Saturday, December 2nd, 2023:

On Thursday, November 30th, Trupanion Pet Insurance held an open panel discussion about the K9 respiratory illness. The webinar is available for the public to view by visiting k9illness.trupanion.com. The panel did a great job of explaining everything that they know so far and what you should do if you think your dog is sick. We urge our clients to check out this webinar.

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2023:

Dr. Ludwig and the team at Lombard and Villa Park Veterinary Hospital want to keep you updated on the latest information that is available about the emerging respiratory illness in dogs. We primarily will rely on the Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association (ISVMA) for accurate and reliable information as they will report information directly from the State of Illinois Veterinarian. As of today 11-22-23, the ISVMA has reported that cases of atypical respiratory illness have been identified in the Quad-Cities. See the article snippet below from the ISVMA. We expect this to be a fluid situation and we will do our best to give timely and accurate updates.

Tuesday, November 21st, 2023: 

Below is an official statement from Dr. Ludwig on what we know about the recently reported respiratory illness in dogs. 

What’s Known and What Can Be Done:

Concerned clients have called our office seeking information about the recent media reports of respiratory syndrome affecting dogs across the United States.

Here Is What We Know:

Dating back to 2022, there have been cases of an atypical respiratory illness affecting dogs across the country. What makes this condition different from other respiratory presentations in dogs is that the causative agent has not yet been identified, and in some cases, the disease syndrome progresses rapidly to severe pneumonia with some deaths reported. Standard treatments for respiratory infections do not appear to be successful for some patients. Most of the detailed information comes from Oregon and Colorado, with cases also reported in California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington. As of today, (November 21st, 2023) there are no confirmed cases of the atypical canine respiratory disease in Illinois. 

According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, there are three clinical syndromes: 

• Chronic mild to 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 can rapidly become severe and often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours.

What You Can Do:

• Minimize Exposure: The best way for you to decrease risk to your pet is by minimizing social interactions with other dogs at least until more is known about this illness.
• Vaccinations: Keep your dog up to date on vaccinations as recommended by your Veterinarian. While core vaccines include rabies, distemper, and leptospirosis, lifestyle vaccines are typically recommended for patients with an increased risk for specific diseases. Respiratory vaccines include bordetella and canine influenza.
• Monitor and Contact Us: Symptoms of this illness can include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, ocular discharge, and lethargy. Some reported cases have progressed into pneumonia, but these appear to be the minority. Please contact your veterinarian if you’re noticing any of these symptoms. We will begin by having a screening phone call to determine the best approach to ensure optimal care for your dog. 
• Let Us Know If Your Dog Has A Respiratory Illness: If you need to schedule an appointment and you have concerns about any respiratory symptoms, please make your veterinary team aware of that on the phone when scheduling.

What Your Lombard and Villa Park Veterinary Hospital Veterinary Teams Are Doing:

1. Our Veterinary team is vigilant and informed and will adjust our protocols based on information we receive from leading Veterinary sources. 
2. We have plans in place to track all respiratory cases so we will be able to separate typical respiratory illnesses from this atypical disease presentation. When we have access to reliable testing of samples, we will be able to provide this resource for clients.
3. We will follow the same sanitation and case approach as we did with the canine influenza outbreaks in recent years, including curbside and outdoor exams along with single-use isolation gowns and gloves.
4. We will set up prompt phone calls for concerned clients with our medical team as a first line of defense, and make individual recommendations to optimize care for individual patients while minimizing exposure for other canines who are receiving care at our facility.

For more information, please visit the American Veterinary Medical Association and to both Lombard and Villa Park Veterinary Hospitals as we will post updates on our sites when we receive them.