CORPUS CHRISTI — In mid-December 2023, Texas was added to the growing number of states where veterinarians reported a mystery respiratory illness among dogs.
“Unfortunately,” there’s no specific treatment,” Doctor Alan Garett, a veterinarian at Everhart Animal Hospital in Corpus Christi, said. “There’s no specific test at this point.”
According to Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine data, veterinarians in at least 18 states report a new respiratory illness is affecting canines.
- California
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Nevada
- Oregon: more than 200 cases have been reported to date
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Vermont
- Washington
“They still have not found what they call the etiological causative agent,” Doctor Garett said. “And by that, I mean they wanna know what’s causing it. Is it a virus? Is it a bacteria?”
According to Texas A&M University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, some dogs died from it.
Doctors said the symptoms were similar to Kennel Cough and other dog upper respiratory infections, including:
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Nasal discharge
- Watery eyes
And in some cases:
- Fever
- Loss of energy
- Loss of appetite
Doctor Garett said he hadn’t seen any cases in his office but it could be a matter of time.
“There’s so many unknown entities about this,” Doctor Garett said. “That’s a little bit scary. What makes it scary is the fact that during the holiday season, people travel and that’s how diseases get spread.”
“People take their dogs, you know, visit grandma or grandpa,” Doctor Garett said. “(They) travel across state lines.”
He said, if your dog is a carrier, it can spread to a dog it’s visiting with or even one at the groomer.
“If you wanna go for a walk, keep your dog away from other dogs,” Doctor Garett said. “Try and maintain several feet distance would be the best kind of thing I recommend. Avoid dog parks.”
Doctor Garett receives updates on the new illness from the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory on Texas A&M’s campus in College Station.
“Keep your dog at home,” Doctor Garett said. “Obviously it goes back to the days of COVID. If you’re not traveling, how can you spread it?”
KRIS 6 called different grooming and boarding facilities in the Corpus Christi area. They did not want to go on camera, but said they were aware of the illness and are remaining vigilant with the safety of their customers' pets.
They require animals to be vaccinated before entering their facilities and staff regularly uses disinfectants to clean their buildings and equipment.
If someone’s dog is showing any signs of illness, respiratory or not, they should contact their veterinarian.
