Search results
Jan 13, 2022 · “Most pets will not be symptomatic, but if a pet has been exposed to someone with COVID, and the pet exhibits signs of a respiratory infection, then testing for a variety of pathogens that cause respiratory disease can be checked,” Teller said.
- Pet Talk
Say ‘Neigh’ To West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis...
- Stories
Texas A&M Veterinary Team Saves Grand Prairie K-9 From...
- Special Editions
Special edition magazines focus on unique areas and themes...
- Pet Talk
Dec 1, 2023 · In rare cases, dogs have died. But veterinarians who study infectious diseases say this may, in fact, not be an outbreak of a singular illness at all. There's still scant evidence...
- Overview
- What are the dog infection symptoms?
- What owners should do
The mysterious respiratory illness that may have sickened scores of dogs across the country could be caused by a new type of bacterial infection that may be very good at evading the canine immune system, researchers say. Some dogs have died from the illness, which starts with causes a cough that can last for weeks, runny eyes and sneezing.
In a development that might help shed light on the illness, which has affected a variety of dog breeds, researchers at the University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnosis Laboratory and the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies told NBC News they have identified a pathogen that might be what’s making pets sick.
Through a genetic sequencing of samples from an initial group of 30 dogs from New Hampshire who were infected last year and then an additional 40 from Rhode Island and Massachusetts who got sick this year, the researchers say they have discovered a previously unknown germ.
The pathogen is “a funky bacterium,” said Dr. David Needle, pathology section chief at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire. “It’s smaller than a normal bacterium in its size and in the size of its genome. Long story short, it’s a weird bacterium that can be tough to find and sequence.”
The germ “is new as a potential cause of disease, but it is likely to be— or to have evolved from — a component of the dog microbiome,” he said. Dogs as well as humans have multiple types of harmless bacteria and other microorganisms living both inside and outside the body. In the gut, they are thought to aid in digestion.
The bacterium was discovered after a painstaking search.
According to Oregon’s Cantu-Schomus, the dogs’ illnesses largely develop in three ways:
•As an inflammation of the tubes that connect the throat to the lungs that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.
•As chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.
•As acute pneumonia that rapidly becomes severe and often leads to severe illness or possibly death in as little as 24 to 36 hours.
If a dog has a cough that won’t quit and other respiratory symptoms, it’s recommended that the owner contact a veterinarian right away.
While the respiratory symptoms seem to be like a viral illness, testing has been negative for a virus, Cantu-Schomus said.
The American Kennel Club’s chief veterinarian offered advice for both dog owners and their vets.
First, owners should make sure their pets are fully vaccinated and boosted against the known canine diseases, said Dr. Jerry Klein, a practicing vet for 35 years and who was emergency department head emeritus at MedVet Chicago and currently works at the McKillip Animal Hospital in Chicago.
Klein recommends that veterinarians suggest a full respiratory panel when people bring in sick dogs, but acknowledges that may be an expense some owners can’t afford.
If a dog’s veterinarian doesn’t suggest the panel, then owners should request it; that will help determine if the germ is one that vets already know about or is something new.
People can call their local emergency vets to find out if there has been an increase in respiratory infections coming in for treatment, Klein said.
“That would be a way to find out whether there’s been an uptick in your area,” he said. “If there is, then they should try to protect against exposure by avoiding grooming establishments and daycare.”
Dec 6, 2023 · Respiratory infections are not uncommon in dogs, but some veterinarians have reported a surge in very sick pets with symptoms that last an unusually long time and do not respond to treatment....
Nov 30, 2023 · —First dog with confirmed coronavirus infection has died — but we don't know if it was because of the virus. — Pet store puppies tied to new outbreak of drug-resistant bacteria
- Emily Cooke
Dec 1, 2023 · Scientists are making headway in pinpointing the cause of the condition reported in more than a dozen states. Here’s what we know so far about the illness—and how to protect your pet.
Aug 5, 2022 · Yes, cats and dogs can get COVID. Both cats and dogs have been found to have been infected with the virus. A number of studies that involved the testing of domestic pets have confirmed the...
