Potentially Fatal Mystery Illness Is Sickening CA Dogs

CALIFORNIA — Dogs in California are at risk of a mysterious and potentially fatal respiratory Illness that has sickened dogs in a dozen states, perplexing veterinarians who have not yet identified a cause or source.

The illness has also been reported in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Oregon and Washington, NBC’s “Today” show reported Monday.

The mystery illness, which has killed some dogs, starts with a cough that can last for several weeks and may not respond to antibiotics or other treatments. The dog may struggle to breathe and develop severe pneumonia.

“It seems to happen very, very quickly — to go from this cough that just won’t go away ... and then all of a sudden they develop this pneumonia," Dr. Lindsey Ganzer, veterinarian and CEO at North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, told “Today.”

Ganzer said her clinic has seen almost 30 dogs with the condition since mid-October, and most had recently spent time at a boarding kennel, dog day, groomer or dog park. Four or five dogs that were already in respiratory distress when they arrived at her clinic have died, Ganzer said, noting that case incidence doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

While there’s no need for dog owners to become “paralyzed with fear,” they may want to take precautions, such as limiting exposure to other dogs and making sure they are up-to-date on vaccinations, Dr. Kurt Williams, director of Oregon Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, told “Today.”

Some symptoms to watch for in dogs that do not test positive for other respiratory illnesses are coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge or abnormal fatigue, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Agriculture. More than 200 cases have been reported in Oregon since mid-August.

The illness can progress in three ways: a mild to moderate cough that lasts six to eight weeks and doesn’t respond to antibiotics or shows little response; chronic pneumonia that doesn’t respond to antibiotics; or severe pneumonia that “often leads to poor outcomes in as little as 24 to 36 hours,” according to the news release.

The American Veterinary Medical Association is monitoring the cases of canine respiratory illness in Oregon. Experts aren’t sure if the illness is the result of an infectious virus or some other cause.

“It’s important to keep an open mind,” Williams told “Today,” noting that it takes time to rule out known causes.