A strange sickness causing fever, lethargy, and cough in dogs has now managed to spread to at least sixteen states, as per the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, earlier this month.
Over the past year, there has been a steady increase in the number of infected dogs. Vets have named the infection CIRDC or Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex.
We don’t know much about the origin of this disease, but the dogs who caught the disease were spotted with severe symptoms that can even lead to death in certain cases.
Where Have Cases Of Dog Respiratory Illness Been Confirmed?
As per the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, the sickness has now reached an overall of 16 states in total: Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nevada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Colorado, and California.
Officials said that in Oregon, there were over 200 reported cases.
Nationally, there hasn’t been any official count of cases.
What Are The Symptoms Of The Mysterious Dog Illness?
The clinical symptoms of the sickness include inflammation of the bronchi and trachea, also known as chronic tracheobronchitis. It can last between six to eight weeks and sometimes even longer, as per officials.
The signs of tracheobronchitis include nasal discharge, sneezing, and coughing.
Pet owners are now advised to check for chronic pneumonia that doesn’t respond well to antimicrobials. In certain cases, the pneumonia ended up progressing very fast, causing death within a single day. However, these days are rare, according to officials.
Shannon Powers, the spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, said in a statement to CBS Philadelphia, “Some states have reported dogs staying ill for long periods, not responding to treatment, and rarely, dogs with rapid onset of severe respiratory signs that have progressed to death. Dogs with preexisting chronic respiratory illness may be more likely to develop pneumonia. Veterinarians are working to pinpoint the cause and identify effective treatments.”
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