Dear Abbey Animal Hospital Family,
We have been fielding a lot of calls with questions about the mysterious (atypical) canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD) that has been spreading across the United States. Some features of this disease include:
- Respiratory infections/coughing that can last for 6 – 8 weeks and have minimal or no response to antibiotics.
- Pneumonia that has minimal or no response to antibiotics.
- Sudden pneumonia that can result in hospitalization and death within 24 – 36 hours.
Information about this disease process is evolving, and we are keeping an eye on it. No specific infective agent has been identified yet, and it is unknown whether the cause of the disease is a completely new virus or bacteria, a new strain of an existing virus or bacteria (such as Bordetella, K9 Flu, Adenovirus, or Parainfluenza), or a surge of these existing infections due to fewer social interactions of dogs during the COVID years.
Current recommendations are to ensure preventative treatments and vaccinations are up to date, and practice “dog social distancing” – avoid taking your dog to dog parks, doggy daycare, kennels, and pet stores. If grooming appointments can be delayed without resulting in health problems such as matting, fecal soiling in the hair, and skin infections, that should be done.
At our hospital, we recommend that for dog appointments you stay in your car until it is time for us to bring you in. If it has been more than 6 months since your dog had a Bordetella and K9 Flu booster, and more than 2 years since the last distemper-parvo vaccine (3DAP/DHPP), we would recommend calling for a tech appointment to update them early. If you have not previously had your dog(s) vaccinated for Bordetella and K9 Flu, please consider calling to get them done.
We will post updates on this issue as more information comes to light. In the meantime, additional information can be found on the website of the Maryland Veterinary Medical Association: https://www.mdvma.org/canine-respiratory-illness-2023
Take care and stay safe,
Dr. Jay and the staff of Abbey Animal Hospital
