Health officials are investigating several mysterious cases of canine respiratory illness in Los Angeles County that are similar to those found in dogs across the country.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Tuesday that county veterinarians have reported 10 cases since Thursday in which dogs showed symptoms similar to atypical canine respiratory illnesses.
Symptoms include coughing, runny nose, sneezing and drowsiness.
The health department said the 10 dogs showed signs of respiratory illness from atypical canine infections, but all tested negative for normal respiratory illness. Health officials said the dogs’ owners are being contacted to determine where they may have become infected.
“Due to the lack of understanding of the cause of this disease, veterinarians and dog owners are advised to be alert to symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose and lethargy (lack of energy) in dogs,” the health department said Tuesday.
Cases of this new disease are defined as those that occur in animals that test negative for normal respiratory disease but have at least one of the following three other indicators:
- Chronic respiratory infection that lasts more than six weeks and does not respond to antibiotics.
- Chronic pneumonia becomes resistant to antibiotics.
- Acute pneumonia can quickly become severe and lead to serious illness or death.
“It seems to happen very, very quickly: They go from this cough that won’t go away…and then all of a sudden they develop pneumonia,” said veterinarian and CEO of North Springs Veterinary Referrals says Dr. Lindsey Ganzer. The center in Colorado Springs, Colo., told TODAY.com.
Dogs that are in close contact with other dogs appear to be more susceptible to this disease.
Owners who think their dog may have the disease should contact their veterinarian and have the animal quarantined at home for 28 days from the date symptoms first appear. Health officials also recommend cleaning surfaces and animal equipment.
Respiratory illnesses caused by atypical canine infections have been reported in several states, including Oregon, Colorado, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In some cases, the disease progresses rapidly within 24 to 36 hours.
In Oregon, the state Department of Agriculture has recorded more than 200 cases since mid-August. Kurt Williams, director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University, told The Associated Press that the dogs had died. But without a clear way to define the disease or test for it, he said, it was difficult to estimate how many people had died from severe infections.
He encourages owners to make sure their dogs are up to date on vaccinations.
“I think the concern is normal,” he told TODAY.com.
Labs across the country are sharing what they know about the disease. Los Angeles County health officials said they are coordinating with federal and state agencies to assist in the investigation.
“Public health is currently tracing cases to determine whether and to what extent a new respiratory disease is affecting dogs in Los Angeles County,” the agency said in a statement. “As more information becomes available, we will To update the public on the situation.”
David Needle, a senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in New Hampshire, has been studying this mysterious disease for nearly a year. He told The Associated Press that his team has not seen a significant increase in dogs dying from the disease but encouraged owners to “reduce contact with other dogs.”
This story first appeared on Telemundo 52 sister station NBCLA. Click here to read this story in English.