1 Common Thread Tying Together Cases Of Dog Illness, RI Officials Say

RHODE ISLAND — Rhode Island officials are warning Rhode Island dog owners not to let their dogs mingle with other dogs until officials can pin down the unknown but highly contagious respiratory disease infecting pets in the state and others across the country.

The disease is known to cause more severe illness than typical respiratory infections affecting pet dogs, and carries a higher resistance to antibiotics, the Department of Environmental Management said in a news release Thursday.

"Although hundreds of seemingly similar cases have emerged nationwide, no one knows if it is a new disease or a worse version of an existing disease, or if the cases are related," officials said.

The Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association was made aware of this "atypical" respiratory syndrome in early 2023, the association's president Shelly Pancoast said in the news release.

The association's veterinarians began sharing the data with an Ocean State Veterinary Servicesveterinarian, Pancoast added. OSVN, the largest animal hospital in the state, began sharing swab samples from affected dogs with the lab at the University of New Hampshire while they collect data to try to further characterize this disease, according to Pancoast.

"Based on our internal data, we feel that most dogs that develop pneumonia and require hospitalization will make a full recovery, and a very small number of dogs are passing away from this disease," Pancoast said, adding in a news conference Thursday afternoon that she believes the number of fatalities has not even reached double digits.

The "only common thread" of this unusual respiratory illness, according to State Veterinarian Scott Marshall, is that they "appear to have an association with dogs recently commingling with other dogs in congregate settings such as at dog parks, shelters, groomers, kennels, or a dog trainer."

"In the same way that people spread germs and illnesses by interacting with other people, dogs transmit disease when congregating with other dogs," Marshall added. "For this reason, and particularly until the agent causing the illness is known, we are recommending that dog owners avoid needless risks of exposure."

This means not bringing pets to the neighborhood dog park, where many germs are spread, or into stores where pets are allowed, officials said. If pet owners must kennel their dogs for work or travel, the Department of Environmental Management is advising owners to consult their veterinarian beforehand to confirm their dogs are properly vaccinated.

Officials are also advising indoor facilities such as pounds, shelters, rescues, kennels, groomers, doggy daycare centers, and pet shops to consult with their veterinarians to discuss proper cleaning and disinfection procedures in their facilities.

Marshall is aware of around 35 Rhode Island cases of the mystery disease, thanks to veterinarians contacting his office and reporting the signs of illness they have seen in dogs in their care. However, the state only requires the reporting of two respiratory viruses found in dogs — canine distemper and canine influenza — so any veterinarians reporting the mystery illness are doing so voluntarily, meaning that the disease is likely being "highly underreported," Marshall said.

"Some veterinarians called to report that what initially presented as kennel cough, which is a nonspecific diagnosis of a mild upper respiratory infection that’s either bacterial or viral or sometimes mixed, actually was more severe than they would expect," Marshall said.

Signs of infection in dogs can include a cough that might liver for several weeks, runny eyes, and sneezing, according to the website of the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which is serving as a clearinghouse for New England states with dogs showing signs of the illness.

A very small subset of dogs has died after a long bout of this illness that was then complicated or superimposed with severe acute pneumonia, the lab said.

Rhode Island is one of at least 10 states to have reported cases, officials said. At this point, evidence suggests that the infection has been limited to dogs. There have not been reports of people or other animals, like cats, being sickened.