Mystery Canine Disease
(CNN) - From New Hampshire to Oregon, researchers are trying to figure out what’s causing an infectious respiratory disease among dogs that has turned deadly in rare cases.The mysterious illness is described as an “atypical canine infectious respiratory disease,” the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a November 9 news release. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge and lethargy.
Veterinarians in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. Other cases have been reported in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire.
“Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative,” Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally don’t test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.
“Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease,” Needle said. “We think these may represent secondary infections.”
Where did the disease come from?Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.
“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.
He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.
The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the lab’s director told CNN in an email.
“There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days,” said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratory’s executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Snekvik said his Washington lab has not reported any canine deaths from the mystifying disease, but said labs in other states have reported a few deaths.
What can dog owners do?While the news may be concerning, “We suggest caution rather than worry,” the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association’s website says.
While this particular disease is unusual, “Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets,” the association said.
“Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”
Dog owners should help keep their pets healthy by making sure they’re up-to-date on all vaccines, such as those for canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza, the association said. Other tips include:
• Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog that’s infectious.
• Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.
• Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.
• Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dog
HEAT WARNING
TUCSON (KVOA) - As temperatures start to rise, we - meaning humans - are not the only ones who need to be cautious of the heat.
The biggest thing to remember is that your pets can feel the heat, just like we do. If you think it's hot outside in these afternoons, just imagine wearing a fur coat!
News 4 Tucson spoke with the staff at Pima Animal Care Center. They shared a few reminders for pet owners as we enter this summer heat.
The first thing PACC shared is to think about where your pets are putting their paws. When you're walking on asphalt or roads, remember that those heat up very quickly. They said even a minute on a really hot surface can burn their paws. In order to prevent this, consider booties to keep their paws protected.
This brings us to our next tip. Walk your pets in the early morning or towards the evening to avoid those peak temperature hours.
We know your schedule may not allow for that, so if you do need to bring you pet outside during hot temperatures, make sure they have access to shade and cool water.
If your furry friend is left outside without those necessities, there's a high risk for heat exhaustion.
"When heat exhaustion has really advanced you start seeing things like the really heaving breathing, they often times lose coordination, they might start to fall over. If it's to that point, you're really in trouble and you need to head straight to a vet," said Kayleigh Murdock with PACC. "But if you're outside with your dog, and they're clearly slowing down, they're less active, they're panting really hard, that should be already a sign to you that alright I need to get this dog inside, get him some cool water, and let him cool down."
For resources and more information about PACC, you can click here.
(CNN) - From New Hampshire to Oregon, researchers are trying to figure out what’s causing an infectious respiratory disease among dogs that has turned deadly in rare cases.The mysterious illness is described as an “atypical canine infectious respiratory disease,” the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a November 9 news release. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge and lethargy.
Veterinarians in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. Other cases have been reported in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire.
“Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative,” Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.
In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally don’t test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.
“Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease,” Needle said. “We think these may represent secondary infections.”
Where did the disease come from?Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.
“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.
He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.
The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the lab’s director told CNN in an email.
“There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days,” said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratory’s executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Snekvik said his Washington lab has not reported any canine deaths from the mystifying disease, but said labs in other states have reported a few deaths.
What can dog owners do?While the news may be concerning, “We suggest caution rather than worry,” the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association’s website says.
While this particular disease is unusual, “Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets,” the association said.
“Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”
Dog owners should help keep their pets healthy by making sure they’re up-to-date on all vaccines, such as those for canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza, the association said. Other tips include:
• Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog that’s infectious.
• Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.
• Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.
• Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dog
HEAT WARNING
TUCSON (KVOA) - As temperatures start to rise, we - meaning humans - are not the only ones who need to be cautious of the heat.
The biggest thing to remember is that your pets can feel the heat, just like we do. If you think it's hot outside in these afternoons, just imagine wearing a fur coat!
News 4 Tucson spoke with the staff at Pima Animal Care Center. They shared a few reminders for pet owners as we enter this summer heat.
The first thing PACC shared is to think about where your pets are putting their paws. When you're walking on asphalt or roads, remember that those heat up very quickly. They said even a minute on a really hot surface can burn their paws. In order to prevent this, consider booties to keep their paws protected.
This brings us to our next tip. Walk your pets in the early morning or towards the evening to avoid those peak temperature hours.
We know your schedule may not allow for that, so if you do need to bring you pet outside during hot temperatures, make sure they have access to shade and cool water.
If your furry friend is left outside without those necessities, there's a high risk for heat exhaustion.
"When heat exhaustion has really advanced you start seeing things like the really heaving breathing, they often times lose coordination, they might start to fall over. If it's to that point, you're really in trouble and you need to head straight to a vet," said Kayleigh Murdock with PACC. "But if you're outside with your dog, and they're clearly slowing down, they're less active, they're panting really hard, that should be already a sign to you that alright I need to get this dog inside, get him some cool water, and let him cool down."
For resources and more information about PACC, you can click here.
Dog Park Updates
Snake Fencing Update
We are in the process of replacing some of the snake fencing that has become loose in the large dog park. We are trying a new material called 'pet mesh'. This is a strong tight meshed material that is very resistant to tearing by claws and chewing. It also is less dangerous to dogs and people than wire screens when the mesh unravels. At this time we are replacing only specific areas - such as at the end of the walkway and the transition area as these areas are where the most damage has occurred.
We are in the process of replacing some of the snake fencing that has become loose in the large dog park. We are trying a new material called 'pet mesh'. This is a strong tight meshed material that is very resistant to tearing by claws and chewing. It also is less dangerous to dogs and people than wire screens when the mesh unravels. At this time we are replacing only specific areas - such as at the end of the walkway and the transition area as these areas are where the most damage has occurred.
Parking Lot Update
We have completed the striping of the K-9 Korral parking lot. We are using 3 inch wide flatbar steel strips to outline the parking spaces to make a more organized use of our limited space. The parking lot has spaces for up to 12 golf carts and 10 full-size vehicles, plus one handicap parking space. If extra space is needed you are allowed to park along Del Webb Blvd.
We have completed the striping of the K-9 Korral parking lot. We are using 3 inch wide flatbar steel strips to outline the parking spaces to make a more organized use of our limited space. The parking lot has spaces for up to 12 golf carts and 10 full-size vehicles, plus one handicap parking space. If extra space is needed you are allowed to park along Del Webb Blvd.
WE HAVE SHADE !!!!
It took over 2 years of product research, construction estimates, price comparisons, and building code investigation but we now how three 10x12 pavilions erected - one in the small dog park and two in the large dog park.
Thank you to all involved and the donations we received for this project.
It took over 2 years of product research, construction estimates, price comparisons, and building code investigation but we now how three 10x12 pavilions erected - one in the small dog park and two in the large dog park.
Thank you to all involved and the donations we received for this project.
NEW ENTRANCE SIGN
Thank you to SCOV for providing a new park entrance sign. We now feel like we are an official amenity of SCOV
Thank you to SCOV for providing a new park entrance sign. We now feel like we are an official amenity of SCOV