Vets across the country are scrambling to treat the rising number of dogs sick with severe respiratory illness. At the same time, scientists are trying to figure out what's causing the current outbreak, how widespread it is and how many previously healthy pups have become seriously ill or died.
Maple was a happy, healthy seven-month-old Australian Shepherd until she started coughing last Saturday. Her owner, Adrianna Deffenderfer of Fontana, California, became scared when the puppy's coughing quickly worsened, keeping Deffenderfer awake all night.
"I just held her and tried to comfort her as best I could," said Deffenderfer, 23. "I could tell she was scared too."
At the vet the next morning, the young dog was tested for various respiratory diseases, all of which ultimately turned out to be negative.
"The vet called me and he said, because there is no definitive proof of this disease yet, we don't really know what causes it," Deffenderfer said.
Maple was treated for bronchitis, given a nebulizer and a steroid injection, and had the secretions removed from her lungs. She was also sent home with two different antibiotics.
Respiratory infections in dogs, especially canine flu, are common and often cause outbreaks in shelters and dog shelters. The current wave has spread to parts of the US and Canada over the past year. This outbreak differs from backyard respiratory disease, experts say, because of the large number of cases severe enough to lead to pneumonia.
In Colorado, cases of pneumonia in dogs rose 50% between September and November of this year, compared to the same months in 2022, said infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Lappin, director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State. University School of Veterinary Medicine. According to Trupanion, a pet insurance company, claims data indicates that the number of dogs with serious respiratory illnesses is increasing in a number of states.
It's possible that more dogs are becoming seriously ill because they are simultaneously infected with multiple pathogens - including canine flu, Bordetella (kennel cough) and mycoplasma pneumonia - said Dr. Deborah Silverstein, division chief of emergency medicine and critical care at Ryan University Veterinary Hospital of Pennsylvania - similar to the tripledemic of Covid-19, flu and RSV that hit people last fall and winter.
Is it a new bug?
There could be a number of reasons for the increase. Many dogs may have lower resistance to infection because pandemic-era restrictions kept them out of daycares or boarding houses and they were not exposed to circulating viruses or bacteria, experts note. Decreases in dog vaccination rates have also been reported. A recent survey found that almost half of dog owners are hesitant about vaccinations for their pets.
"We have more dogs with lower resistance levels because they have been exposed less and vaccinated less in recent years," says Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College. , said during an online briefing on Thursday. "So that means that just with our normal respiratory diseases that are always there and always circulating, we could see more disease and more spikes."
Silverstein said it's possible that all of these factors could explain the increased incidence of a disease that makes some dogs fatally ill.
"It's more than likely that a bug has changed in virulence," Silverstein said. "Just like Covid strains can be milder or more severe."
Yet there is a possibility that a new bacterium is in circulation.
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire recently identified a new bacterium as a possible culprit. The findings are based on a small number of cases from the New England states, so the results need to be confirmed in a larger and more geographically diverse sample of dogs.
Researchers from other centers, including Oregon State University, Colorado State University and the University of Pennsylvania, are also trying to determine the cause of the outbreak.
A major factor slowing research in the US is that there is no single group that tracks pet diseases. For example, CSU scientists are working with the state veterinary office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other researchers to better understand what's happening in Colorado.
Another hurdle is that many owners cannot afford to take a sick dog to an animal hospital or specialty center, or even pay for diagnostic tests. In fact, treatment costs for the sickest dogs can range from $15,000 to $20,000, says Steve Weinrauch, Chief Veterinary Product Officer at Trupanion.
Which dogs are at increased risk?
Typically, brachycephalic or flat-faced dog breeds such as French bulldogs or pugs, older dogs, or dogs with underlying lung disease are at greater risk of developing pneumonia from a respiratory infection.
But at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kate Aicher reported a cluster of cases of atypical canine respiratory disease in young, vaccinated dogs in March and April this year. What Aicher and her colleagues saw was a sudden onset of fever and a wide range of severity.
"You don't expect 1- and 2-year-old dogs that are well conditioned and healthy to develop pneumonia so severe that they have to be put on a ventilator and then die," Aicher says. "You don't expect dogs to die despite aggressive care."
About 75% of dogs at Texas A&M tested positive for a known pathogen. But for 25%, the tests showed nothing at all, Aicher said.
Then suddenly it all became personal for Aicher.
Her 2-year-old Labrador retriever developed a high fever and a disturbing cough. Aicher's dog was hospitalized and thankfully recovered with treatment. The pup is now back home "running around like her normal Lab self."
Unfortunately, a dog of the same age and breed that came to the hospital for treatment did not make it, she said.
Aicher recalled that her dog had made subtle sniffing noises and coughed once during a walk.
"In retrospect, these were probably the first signals and did not ring any alarm bells," she says.
It underlines how important it is for owners to know their dogs and recognize when something seems wrong.
Symptoms of a respiratory infection in dogs include:
Many dogs recover on their own. But if the dog has trouble breathing or stops eating, it could be a more serious problem and the dog should be taken to a vet.
With all the attention the unidentified disease is getting in the news, and especially on social media, Dr. Cynda Crawford, a professor of shelter medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, worries that owners will panic if it hasn't already been diagnosed. of illness. it seems to be that many cases in total.
Nevertheless, "veterinarians working in private practice on the front lines are seeing higher numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, and some of those dogs are progressing to pneumonia," Crawford said. "They report that the dogs do not respond as well or as quickly to normal care."
Meanwhile, Maple, the Australian shepherd, seems to be getting better and needs another chest x-ray to make sure the antibiotics are working.
"She can sleep through the night, she can take naps," Deffenderfer said. "We can train a little."
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
