This is a translated article from NBC from December 5, 2023 :
What Are the Causes of Severe Respiratory Disease in Dogs in the US?
Veterinarians say there could be a number of reasons for the increase in cases of atypical respiratory disease in dogs, including the decline in vaccination rates.
By Linda Carroll and Marina Kopf
Veterinarians across the country are scrambling to treat the increasing number of dogs suffering from a serious respiratory illness. At the same time, scientists are trying to figure out what is causing the current outbreak, how widespread it is, and how many previously healthy puppies have become seriously ill or died.
Maple was a happy, healthy 7 month old Australian Shepherd until she started coughing last Saturday. Her owner, Adrianna Deffenderfer of Fontana, California, became frightened when the puppy's coughing quickly increased and kept Deffenderfer awake all night.
“I just held her in my arms and tried to comfort her as best as I could,” says 23-year-old Deffenderfer. “I could see she was scared too.
The next morning, the young dog was tested at the vet for various respiratory diseases, all of which were negative.
"The vet called me and said that since there is no definitive proof of this disease, we don't know exactly what causes it," Deffenderfer said.
Maple was treated for bronchitis, given a nebulizer and a steroid shot, and the secretions were cleared from her lungs. She was also sent home with two different antibiotic medications.
Respiratory infections in dogs, particularly canine flu, are common and often cause outbreaks in animal shelters and doggy day care centers. The current wave has spread to the United States and Canada over the past year. This outbreak is different from common respiratory illnesses, experts say, because the large number of cases are severe enough to lead pneumonia
In Colorado, cases of canine pneumonia rose 50% from September to November this year compared to the same months in 2022, according to 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 suggests that the number of dogs with severe respiratory illnesses is increasing in a number of states.
According to Dr. Deborah Silverstein, chief of emergency medicine and critical care at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, more and more dogs are becoming seriously ill because they are infected with multiple pathogens at the same time - including canine flu, Bordetella (kennel cough) and mycoplasma pneumonia - similar to the triple epidemic of Covid-19, influenza and RSV that affected people last fall and winter.
Is it a new pathogen?
There could be a number of reasons for the increase. Many dogs may be less susceptible to infections because they were not allowed to be kept in daycare centers or boarding facilities during the pandemic period and therefore did not come into contact with circulating viruses or bacteria, experts said. Dog vaccination rates have also reportedly declined. A recent study found that almost half of dog owners are hesitant to vaccinate their pets.
"We have more dogs that have lower resistance because they have been less exposed and less vaccinated in recent years," said Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious disease veterinarian at the Ontario Veterinary College, said in an online briefing Thursday. “That means that, especially with our normal respiratory disease, which is always there and always circulating, we may see more illnesses and more outbreaks.
Silverstein said it's possible that any of these factors could explain the increased incidence of a disease that's making some dogs fatally ill.
“It is more than likely that the virulence of a pathogen has changed,” said Silverstein. "Just like Covid strains can be milder or more severe."
However, there is a possibility that a new bacteria is circulating.
Scientists at the University of New Hampshire recently identified a new bacteria as a possible culprit. The results are based on a small number of cases from the New England states and therefore need to be confirmed in a larger and more geographically diverse sample of dogs.
Researchers at 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 United States is the fact that there is no single group tracking pet diseases. For example, CSU scientists are working with the state veterinary office, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other researchers to gain better insight into what's happening in Colorado.
Another hurdle is that many owners cannot afford to take a sick dog to a veterinary hospital or specialty center or even pay for diagnostic testing. According to Dr. According to Steve Weinrauch, chief veterinarian at Trupanion, "the cost for less common but severe cases that require several days of hospitalization and supportive care can range from $15,000 to $20,000 ."
Which dogs are at increased risk?
Typically, brachycephalic or flat-faced dog breeds such as French bulldogs or pugs, older dogs, or dogs with an underlying lung disease are at greater risk of developing pneumonia due to a respiratory infection.
But at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Kate Aicher reported a series of cases of atypical respiratory diseases in young, vaccinated dogs . What Aicher and her colleagues observed was a sudden increase in fever and a wide range of severity.
"You don't expect one- and two-year-old dogs that are well-conditioned and healthy to get pneumonia so severe that they have to be put on a ventilator and then die," Aicher said. "You don't expect dogs to die despite aggressive treatment."
About 75% of dogs at Texas A&M have tested positive for a known pathogen. However, in 25% of the dogs nothing was found at all, says Aicher.
Then it suddenly became very personal for Aicher.
Her 2-year-old Labrador Retriever developed a high fever and a worrying cough. Aicher's dog was taken to hospital and fortunately recovered after treatment. The puppy is now back home and "running around like a normal Labrador."
Unfortunately, a dog of the same age and breed that was taken to the hospital for treatment did not survive, she said.
Aicher remembered her dog making soft sniffing noises and coughing once during a walk.
"In hindsight, those were probably the first signs that didn't set off alarm bells," she said.
This highlights how important it is for owners to know their dogs and recognize when something is wrong.
Symptoms of a respiratory infection in dogs include:
- Cough.
- Sneeze.
- Red, watery eyes
Many dogs recover on their own. However, if the dog is having difficulty breathing or has stopped eating, there could be a more serious problem and the dog should be taken to the vet .
Given the amount of attention the unknown disease is receiving in the news and especially on social media, Dr. Cynda Crawford, chair of animal shelter medicine at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, said owners are panicking, even though there don't seem to be that many cases overall.
Still, " veterinarians working on the front lines of practice are seeing higher numbers of dogs with respiratory illnesses, and some of these dogs are progressing to pneumonia ," says Crawford. "They report that the dogs are not responding as well or as quickly to normal standard treatment."
Meanwhile, Maple the Australian Shepherd appears to be doing better and is due for 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 bit."
End of NBC article.
Our summary for you:
The current wave of severe respiratory illnesses in dogs being observed in parts of the United States and Canada could have several causes. One of these causes could be a decline in dog vaccination rates as many dog owners were hesitant to vaccinate their pets during the pandemic. Additionally, pandemic restrictions have resulted in dogs having less contact with other dogs, which may have reduced their natural resistance to common viruses and bacteria.
Another reason for the increase in severe cases could be infection with multiple pathogens at the same time, similar to the "tripledemic" of Covid-19, influenza and RSV that affected people last fall and winter. These include canine influenza, Bordetella (kennel cough) and mycoplasma pneumonia.
In Colorado, for example, the number of cases of canine pneumonia increased by 50% compared to the previous year. Scientists at the University of New Hampshire recently identified a novel bacterium as a possible cause of this wave of illness, but these results still need to be confirmed in a larger and more geographically diverse sample of dogs.
Symptoms of a respiratory infection in dogs can include coughing, sneezing, and red, runny eyes. Many dogs recover on their own, but if a dog has trouble breathing or stops eating, there could be a more serious problem and the dog should be taken to the vet.
Veterinarians and scientists continue to work to identify the cause of the outbreak and develop effective treatment strategies.
Our advice - if you plan to travel to the USA or Canada with your dog in the near future, have him vaccinated by your vet and avoid contact with local dogs as much as possible!