Earlier this year several veterinarians in Oregon began seeing cases of respiratory illness in dogs that appeared unusual. More recently local news has begun reporting on these cases. Our veterinary team has been monitoring this situation and our recommendations remain the same: keep your pets up to date on vaccinations and monitor them for signs of illness. If your dog does become sick, keep them away from other animals and seek veterinary care.
The Oregon Department of Agriculture, The Oregon State Veterinarian, the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostics Lab, and the USDA National Veterinary Services Lab are all working together to identify the causative agent in their state. The Oregon Department of Agriculture has said they are making rapid progress towards identifying the pathogen involved. Once identified, more specific recommendations can be made if needed.
At this time, we do not recommend any additional caution as this illness has not been identified in Seattle and your dog is much more likely to get kennel cough than this new disease. If you wish to exercise extra caution, our doctors suggest doing the same things they recommend to keep your pet from catching kennel cough: avoiding large groups of unknown dogs and avoiding high contact surfaces such as communal water bowls. We always strongly recommend making sure your dog is current on all vaccinations.
Oregon Veterinary Medical Association updates: https://www.oregonvma.org/news/reports-of-severe-canine-infectious-respiratory-disease-in-oregon
Washington State Department of Agriculture News: https://agr.wa.gov/
Cornell University Updates: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/canine-respiratory-disease-outbreaks