A mysterious illness that has been causing the death of dogs across the US has finally been identified as a “funky bacterium”, according to Dr David Needle, pathology section chief at the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire.
The research team is sharing these results before publishing a research article, hoping their initial findings will help vets dealing with this and other respiratory illnesses.
This bacterium is smaller than usual in size and genome, which might let it dodge a dog’s immune defences in the upper respiratory tract and reach the lungs.
Dr Needle added: “Long story short, it’s a weird bacterium that can be tough to find and sequence.”
He explained that the newly discovered bacteria are new as potential disease causes but likely evolved from a component of the dog microbiome.
The disease can progress to pneumonia, which also doesn’t respond to antibiotics. In severe cases, dogs may develop acute pneumonia and could die within a day or two.
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Experts suggest that during holiday travel, dog owners should avoid places like communal dog bowls, boarding kennels, groomers, and dog parks where infections can easily spread due to crowded conditions.
Dr Kurt Williams, director of the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University, told NBC News: “When you congregate a bunch of animals together, there’s a larger likelihood of getting an infectious disease from other dogs,”
Instead of exposing your pet to large groups, consider hiring a dog sitter or walker to come to your house.
It’s also crucial to keep your dog’s vaccinations, including for canine influenza, up-to-date. If your dog starts showing signs of illness, such as coughing, get them checked by a vet immediately.
Dr Williams advises: “I’ve been telling people to work closely with their vet,” and “And to make sure their dog has all the vaccines available, in particular, those for respiratory diseases we are familiar with.”
An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
