5 Best ways to protect your dog from the new deadly mysterious disease.
Keep in mind some dog safety advice while we are entering the busy holiday trips season.
Dogs are really part of the family and as a owner, you always want to do what is best. This involves keeping their favorite food at hand and making sure they do enough exercise, and it also means keeping an eye on their health. Right now, you will want to take additional measures to protect your dog from the disease, as a new potentially fatal illness spreads to the United States
Mysterious respiratory disease has been officially reported in At least five states —Colorado, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Hampshire and Massachusetts - The Washington Post reported, but Today noted that the cases corresponding to the description of the disease were also reported In Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Washington, Illinois, Indiana and California.
Symptoms generally Start with a cough And can be accompanied by coughs, sneezing, nasal or ocular discharge and lethargy, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Oregon (ODA), which received 200 case reports Since mid-August.
The disease can progress towards pneumonia and respiratory distress, Wapo Reported and making things more complicated, he does not seem to respond to antibiotics. In dogs that develop pneumonia, it can become "quickly serious" and lead "bad results as little as 24 to 36 hours", according to ODA. According to Today , there were cases where Dogs are dead of the disease, but the exact number remains uncertain.
However, veterinarians are short of what really causes the disease. Dogs have been tested for current respiratory diseases - because the symptoms are similar, but these tests do not come back positive.
"We do not know what causes it, and we cannot permanently say how it is transmitted", " Lindsey Ganzer , DVM, owner of the North Springs veterinary reference center in Colorado, said Wapo . "We don't know enough for the moment."
ODA recommends "caution rather than worry" to ensure the safety of your dog. Thus, while veterinarians are studying the disease, they also ask owners to do their part. Read the rest to discover the five ways they say you can protect your dog.
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1 Make sure your dog's vaccinations are up to date.
In general, it's a good idea to make sure your dog has all the necessary vaccines. But for the moment, check with your veterinarian to make sure that your dog is up to date with those who offer protection against respiratory diseases.
ODA specifically recommends checking that your dog is covered for canine flu, Bordetella and Painfluenza. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
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2 Avoid boarding your dog, if possible.
With the holidays here, you may have travel plans on the file - and a reservation for your dog with local pets for pets. However, if possible, veterinarians say that you should avoid boarding while this mystery disease spreads.
"Where we see these cases come in our hospital come from dogs that have been in boarding facilities or Doggie daycare," said Ganzer Today . "With the coming holidays, [and] people are more likely to get on board their dogs as they go on vacation and as they will see the family, I worry that it gets worse."
As Mike Hutchinson , DVM, told CBS News Pittsburgh, even if your boarding installation requires proof of precautionary vaccinations, it only takes A sick dog To put your pet in danger.
"Most of the day cares, at least around us, they demand that all vaccines be up to date, that they have a health certificate from their veterinarian," he said. "So, most of the time, you put healthy dogs in this area but you get a dog that is sick, it's like the cold of the school courtyard, so others can have this cold."
If you can, try to get a confidence friend or guardian to watch your dog instead.
3 Watch your dog for symptoms.
It is important to keep an eye on your dog to see if they develop symptoms, by Today - And if something feels turned off, head to the veterinarian.
Do not wait either if it gets worse either. According to Ganzer, early treatment is essential.
"We must treat as soon as possible. This is really important," she said Wapo . "I had cases where these will be two roommates, and one of them will show panels, but I went forward and I started the two antibiotics. A few days later, the Another will start to cough but do better than the first. "
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4 Keep your dogs at home.
According to Today , Veterinarians also suggest keeping dogs at home when possible. This is particularly important if your dog is sick or even looks sick with a cough, a flowing nose or flowing eyes, according to the ODA.
5 Avoid the places they interact with other dogs.
If your animal likes dog park, you might be tempted to take them for quality playing time. But the veterinarians suggest avoiding these contexts at the moment, as this could increase their risk of contracting a respiratory disease, Today reported.
"Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contact your dog, the more the risk of meeting a dog is contagious," said the ODA press release.
In addition, it is a good idea to skip their grooming appointments to minimize contacts with other dogs, and the ODA also suggests escaping municipal water bowls.
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