Mystery dog illness in Wisconsin? How to keep your pet safe

Recently, veterinarians, animal shelter workers and dog owners throughout the United States have become increasingly aware of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs that often does not respond to antibiotics.

A wide range of symptoms have been reported in infected dogs, including flu-like symptoms, cough, nasal discharge, fever, pneumonia and kennel cough-like symptoms. However, labs across the country are still unsure of what's causing this increased rate of respiratory illness in dogs.

National media outlets, including the New York Times and AP, have reported on cases of the illness in numerous states, notably Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. However, veterinarian Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, said every state, including Wisconsin, has probably seen cases of the new dog respiratory illness.

We spoke with Dr. Poulsen about this mysterious illness, research efforts surrounding it and what dog owners should do to keep their pets safe.

Here's what we learned.

What is the new dog respiratory illness?

Veterinary experts are currently unsure of the viral or bacterial culprit causing increased rates of respiratory illness in dogs.

"What we're seeing is multiple different states seeing different types of respiratory disease, and there are some outbreaks that we're not getting an answer to with our in-depth diagnostic tests," Poulsen said.

In most of these cases, he said, dogs are sick with respiratory illnesses or pneumonias, but their diagnostic tests are coming back negative or "normal," and they're not responding to antimicrobial treatments. Poulsen and other experts believe many of these dogs contracted the illness from "high-risk" environments, like dog parks, dog daycares and groomers.

Although this new illness is often not responsive to antibiotics, Dr. Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Oregon State University, told the New York Times that dogs can typically recuperate from the respiratory illness on their own. Some cases have also been treated with antibiotics.

What are researchers doing to address the new dog respiratory illness?

Poulsen's Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is working as part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network to solve the mystery of the new dog respiratory illness. Labs from all over North America meet on a weekly basis to discuss the next steps in identifying the disease.

"We assume that something like this, that spreads as fast as this does, is a virus, but we don't really know because there isn't a clearly defined case, and (different cases) all act a little bit differently," Poulsen said.

Researchers are currently working to determine whether the illness is a new pathogen or a mutated or evolved version of an existing disease, he continued.

Veterinarians and dog owners can help researchers further these efforts by having diagnostic testing conducted on dogs that present with respiratory symptoms. Testing can help vets and owners rule out, or rule in, what their dog might be sick with, Poulsen said. Additionally, the more tests that are submitted to labs, the more information researchers will have to use in their work.

How are veterinarians treating the new dog respiratory illness?

In an email to patients, Shorewood Animal Hospital medical director Dr. Kevin Joyce wrote that, until the illness is identified or a multi-state outbreak occurs, the hospital will "continue to treat patients with respiratory disease on a case-by-case basis."

"We will evaluate patients for risk factors that may put them at risk for more serious respiratory disease and treat each patient according to their individual need," Joyce's statement continued.

Poulsen said if a dog is brought to the vet with respiratory symptoms, they will likely be sent home with antimicrobial medication. If they do not respond to the medication and do not start getting better, diagnostic ― and sometimes other, more in-depth ― tests should be run.

How can I protect my pet from the new dog respiratory illness?

Poulsen said, while the cause of the respiratory illness remains unknown, he and other experts are giving dog owners this advice:

• Make sure your dog is up to date on all their core vaccines, as recommended by your veterinarian.
• Avoid visiting dog parks at peak times.
• If your dog is sick, keep them home from daycare, and other places where they could come into contact with other dogs.
• Keep high-risk dogs home from dog parks, dog daycare and groomers. These include puppies who've not received all of their vaccines, geriatric dogs, dogs with autoimmune diseases or other health conditions, and dogs taking immunosuppressants, steroids, cancer treatments or other drugs that could lower their immune response.

Is the new dog respiratory illness deadly?

Poulsen said most states have reported high morbidity, or disease, rates but low mortality rates in relation to the new dog respiratory illness. This means they're seeing high numbers of sick dogs but very few are dying.

Poulsen said he's seen "anecdotal information" about dogs dying from respiratory illnesses on social media, but the data and research do not support the idea that deaths have been common or widespread. Many dogs who have died also likely had other risk factors or pre-existing conditions, he continued.

Can humans contract the new dog respiratory illness?

No, Poulsen said, it is not currently believed that dogs can pass the respiratory illness to humans, or vice versa.

"I think it's important to say that we aren't seeing anything that's connected with people," he said. "We don't recognize this as a zoonotic pathogen at this point."