GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The mysterious and deadly canine respiratory illness that's been reported around the country has not yet been detected in Michigan— according to the state— but a local veterinarian wants pet owners to play it safe.
"If you can avoid contact with other dogs, avoid it. If your pet isn't up to date on its routine immunizations, get it up to date," said Ryan Carpenter, DVM.
The veterinarian at Family Friends Veterinary Hospital and Urgent Care says dog owners shouldn't "panic" about the unknown affliction.
"As a veterinarian, we have to be caretakers," Carpenter said. "It's something to be aware of."
For the past few months of the sickness' seeming existence, symptoms have included lethargy, loss of appetite, eye or nose discharge, coughing and shortness of breath. In some severe cases, dogs have developed pneumonia, which can lead to death.
"We don't even know that it's a virus," Carpenter said. "An unknown mystery."
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation, in a November report, said the "causative agent remains unknown."
In most cases, antibiotics and cough suppressants can be used to treat respiratory diseases like Bordetella or pneumonia, but Carpenter says the traditional methods haven't always been effective with the new illness. When under-the-weather dogs were tested for influenza or other common afflictions, the results often returned negative.
Despite the unknowns for the unnamed disease, Carpenter says it's not likely to spread to other animals or humans.
"I wouldn't change your plans," Carpenter said. "It's about being proactive with our pets' health."
