Mysterious Dog Illness Reported Across 21 States
In a concerning turn of events, dog owners across 21 states are trading information on a suspected canine illness that has been spreading. Although these cases have not been verified by researchers, dog owners are sharing their experiences and advice on caring for sick dogs in an informal citizen reporting effort.
Citizen Reporting Effort
Owners of newly infected dogs are exchanging advice on disinfection products for facilities and sharing first-hand accounts of what treatments have and haven’t worked. The intention is to pass this information along to veterinary treatment teams to assist in the care of newly infected dogs.
Search for the Cause
Dr. Scott Needle is urging dog owners to be patient as the search for the cause of this illness continues. While any kind of vaccine is a long way off, he hopes that the ongoing research will help veterinarians in impacted areas better understand how to treat sick dogs and possibly change their treatment approaches.
Gaining Insight
Researchers are trying to determine the cause of the illness, whether it is a bacteria, and what type of bacteria they are dealing with. This information will help in identifying which medications will be most effective by eliminating those that definitely won’t work, as certain antibiotics only work on bacteria with a particular cell structure.
Importance of Funding
Funding for veterinary research is minimal compared to funding for high-priority human respiratory diseases. This outbreak also highlights the importance of funding state veterinarian offices and diagnostic labs, as nearly two-thirds of new or emerging human diseases originate from animals.
Protective Measures
Dog owners are advised to watch for signs of infection, ensure their dogs are up to date on all recommended vaccines, and consider avoiding large crowds of dogs in areas with reported cases. There is no official tracker of where the disease appears to be present, so owners are urged to rely on information from the Facebook group or advice from their local veterinarian.
Seeking Solutions
If your veterinarian is seeing an uptick in unidentified respiratory disease suggesting you’re part of an outbreak, you can contact the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory to submit samples from impacted dogs. The more samples the lab has access to, the better for ongoing research efforts.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Needle encourages caution, not fear, and advises dog owners to use basic public health practices with their pets. He also recommends keeping an eye on veterinary news for updates, as researchers are hopeful for significant progress within the next month.
I have over 10 years of experience in the cryptocurrency industry and I have been on the list of the top authors on LinkedIn for the past 5 years. I have a wealth of knowledge to share with my readers, and my goal is to help them navigate the ever-changing world of cryptocurrencies.