Facts: Mysterious Dog Illness Has Reached Washington State

Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease In Oregon And Washington State Warning

I've got three dogs so I'm always a little worried when I see a report about a mysterious canine illness in our state.

What is Currently Known About The Illness, 2 Cases Already In WA State

I started seeing reports over the weekend that 16 states have encountered a mysterious dog illness with several cases reported in Portland and Salem Oregon.

According to the WSDA, we've got two new reported cases of the illness in Snohomish and Clark counties with both dogs recovering.

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According to the Oregon VMA, here are the signs you should be looking out for:

Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy.

Should Dog Owners Be Worried?

Dr. Stephen Kochis, the chief medical officer for the Oregon Humane Society, told the New York Times he does not want people to panic because the number of cases reported to ODA represents a small number of all the dogs in the state. “We are not seeing an uptick in respiratory disease outside of the ordinary expectation for pets that would get respiratory disease,” he said.

At present, the WSDA has two confirmed cases of the respiratory illness and is still collecting more information.

Precautions You May Choose to Take

1. Make sure your pet is fully vaccinated for all canine respiratory diseases.
2. Avoid congregations of dogs.
3. Keep dogs away from sick dogs.
4. People should wash their hands, especially if exposed to sick dogs and boarding facilities.
5. Kennels should be strict about not allowing sick dogs to be admitted.
6. Contact your veterinarian if your dog is showing signs of illness.
7. If your dog does get sick, laboratory testing will be required to learn more.

Oregon and Washington experts are advising that pet owners should reach out to their local veterinarians with any questions or concerns about the well-being of their pets.