Respiratory pandemic in dogs?

Recently, the media has given a lot of attention to an infectious cough that is spreading among dogs. Here are some of your common questions and answers.

An infectious cough is a contagious cough. An organism or organisms can be transmitted from one dog to another, either through the air or direct contact. The organisms get into the respiratory tract and cause coughing. Other symptoms, such as fever, lethargy, and decreased appetite, may be noted.

CIRDC stands for Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex. It covers a variety of infectious organisms that can cause coughing in dogs. You might have heard of Kennel Cough, which is a subset of CIRDC.

CIRDC is actually a complicated mix of organisms. Commonly known infectious causes of cough in dogs include at least nine viruses, three types of bacteria, one protozoan, three fungal organisms, and five parasites. Dogs with an infectious cough usually have more than one infectious cause.

CIRDC has been around in some form, probably as long as dogs have been around. One reason is simply that the media is paying more attention to respiratory infections in dogs.

However, the above item is only part of the story. There is also actual news here.

There are recent, relatively infrequent, but significant reports of dogs with respiratory disease that are resistant to standard treatments. Also tests for common respiratory agents are not positive.

We do not have formal surveillance programs to monitor these sorts of things. An area that can be looked at to get somewhat of an idea is pet health insurance claims. One major insurance company's data clearly shows an upward trend in claims for “respiratory disease” over the past two years. This is for specific areas. In the US: Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia and California. In Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia,

and British Columbia. This is one data source, and detailed information about the world dog population is sparse.

We don't actually know. Here are some of the possibilities (see the link at the end of the article for more).

There might be a previously unidentified organism(s). However, finding a new organism in any sick animal doesn't necessarily mean it is the cause. What if you also find that organism in normal animals as well, as is often the case with new discoveries?

There might be some previously known organism(s) that has changed or mutated.

Maybe dogs are getting vaccinated less, out of owner fears or less care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe the best kinds of vaccines aren't being used.

An increasing population of dogs might mean more cases of illness, even if the percentage of infected stays the same.

Increasing the use of pet health insurance might cause more reporting to providers and the willingness to go to the vet for a sick pet.

Multiple items in the above list might be true and vary from location to location.

What can I do to protect my dog?

Avoid the dog park or other areas with large groups of dogs in a small area.

Make sure you keep your dog as healthy as possible.

Offer good quality food, maintain an ideal weight and dental health. Visit your veterinarian at least annually.

If applicable to your dog's lifestyle, consider a Kennel Cough vaccine.

There is a Canine Influenza vaccine, which can be hard to find and should be considered if you live in an area with an outbreak of that specific disease.

If your dog is coughing or otherwise ill, don't panic, but do contact your veterinarian.

Be aware that several common causes of coughing in dogs are not infectious.

I urge caution when using the popular media to get information about something like an epidemic or pandemic. Popular media can often be sensationalist, anecdotal, and written by non-scientists. Get your medical information from medical professionals.

In this article, I've hit only the highlights of an important but very large topic. I encourage you to periodically check The Worms & Germs Blog, which I've mentioned in a previous article. That and your local veterinarian will be your best resource for keeping current.

“Ask the Vet” is a monthly column written by local veterinarians, including Colin Chaves of Covington Creek Veterinary, Karen Novak of Mendocino Village Veterinary, and Kendall Willson of Mendocino Equine and Livestock. Past articles can be found on the Advocate-News and Beacon websites by searching “Ask the Vet.”