A puppy relaxes on a bed of straw | BlueRoomStream
By Zeta Cross | The Center Square contributor
Illinois dog owners are panicking about reports of a mystery respiratory illness that has been affecting dogs in other states.
People are asking their vets if it is safe to send their dogs to daycare. They are wondering about the risk of boarding dogs over the holidays.
“All good questions,” Dr. Drew Sullivan, medical director of Chicago’s Medical District Veterinary Clinic, said. “We just don’t have enough data yet to be able to answer some of these questions.”
So far, there are no reported cases of the new mystery illness among dogs here in Illinois, Sullivan said.
“We haven’t seen any of it. The Illinois State Veterinary Medical Association just put out an alert saying that they do not have reported cases,” Sullivan said.
Oregon, Colorado and New Hampshire are states that have reported cases of unusual respiratory illness, which has caused lasting respiratory disease and pneumonia and does not respond to antibiotics.
The last time Illinois experienced a bad outbreak of a new form of canine influenza was in 2015, Sullivan said.
“Is it coming? Maybe. We don’t really know,” he said.
Common cold symptoms that dogs normally experience are coughing, runny nose, eye discharge, and chest congestion. Before you run to the vet’s office, give them a call, Sullivan said. Chances are that the dog is just experiencing one of the common dog viruses that dogs get in colder months.
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