A Mysterious Dog Illness Has Now Been Found in Both Iowa and Wisconsin

A mysterious and infectious respiratory disease in dogs has now been reported in Wisconsin. Earlier this month, cases in Iowa began to pop up, and now there's more evidence of it spreading at an alarming rate.

Per Channel 3000, the disease has been called "a typical canine respiratory disease," and is similar to kennel cough. With the bitterly cold winter weather setting in, there are symptoms you can monitor in your dog:

You can monitor it and it should recover on its own. Most dogs will get better without any additional treatment. But, if your dog is developing colorful nasal discharge, so green or yellow, if they’re not eating, if they seem more tired than usual or if they’re breathing really quickly or with a lot of effort, then you should contact your veterinarian. - Jessica Pritchard, Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine, per Channel 3000

Veterinarians are warning that if you plan on traveling with your dog this holiday season, it might be better to hire someone to care for your dog in your own home, or even postponing the trip. Some dogs who are more at risk may develop pneumonia or require antibiotics if they have a severe case of the illness.

Most dogs, however, should recover just fine, Pritchard added.

This newfound dog disease was also discovered in Iowa earlier this month. On December 5th, the American Veterinary Medical Association released a statement that said cases of the new disease were seen in multiple states, with a case in Iowa confirmed in the fall in Des Moines.

Vets and shelter owners described the illness as similar to prolonged kennel cough, but one that didn't respond to treatment. That being said, Pritchard doesn't see a reason to panic:

Pet owners right now don’t need to panic. We know how to deal with infectious respiratory diseases because we did it with COVID. If your dog is sick, just like if you’re sick, keep them home, keep them away from other dogs and out of you know, really dog dense situations. If you have a dog that’s very young and not vaccinated, or very old and otherwise ill, and already has lung problems, those dogs probably shouldn’t be going to a bunch of dog parks, dog shows, dog daycares anyway because they’re at a higher risk of disease. - Jessica Pritchard, Clinical Assistant Professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine, per Channel 3000

Read more about this mysterious new dog illness on Channel 3000's website.