I am having a flashback to January 2020. We heard about this unknown virus called COVID. It was just in some pockets…seemed to affect immune compromised people, but media downplayed it and said it was no big deal. Fast forward to March 2020 when most of the US began to shut down, and people were dying, some that were not immune compromised.

Enter this new unknown and therefore not understood canine virus. Media is again saying it is in pockets (officially 14 states, but it is more), and “some” dogs are dying, but it is not a big deal. No reason to panic. Hum….

So what are the symptoms of this deadly not so deadly virus? It appears to attack the respiratory system, similar to bordetella. The dog may be lethargic, sneeze, cough, and have watery eyes. Big deal. So why does it have my hackles raised?

Well when your dog goes to the vet, nothing tests positive. Weird…and antibiotics are ineffective. Yikes…but then this Thing can turn into pneumonia. By then it is usually too late to save your dog. It is usually fatal within 24 hours at that point. This virus is highly contagious from dog to dog. They do not know how it is transmitted, but they suspect it travels via air.

Some dogs who survived and never contracted pneumonia have respiratory issues for months. Again, eerily similar to long COVID.

People who know me know I do not freak out easily. I gather facts and observe. However, I have heard enough that my gut says be very, very careful. I also believe the media is not sharing all with us in order to avoid a widespread panic because the facts are scarce, and there is no cure or effective treatment.

Some families with multiple dogs have lost them all after spending thousands of dollars. So how prevalent is this thing? How many dogs are dying? Similar to COVID in the early months ,records are not being kept accurately. Not all deaths or cases are being reported. I know it is in more than the 14 states because people in other states have told me. It is traveling.

So what can be done? People, please err on the side of caution. Avoid dog parks, groomers,dog classes, kennels, and doggie daycare. We know it is spread dog to dog. Again, you may feel this is extreme, but I would never forgive myself if I put my dogs at risk because I thought this was no big deal. My dogs are not even meeting dogs they do not know on the street. If there are dogs they know that attend doggie anything, we are steering clear.

If we socially distance our dogs, we should be able to increase the chances dramatically that they will remain healthy. My next blog post will be on holistic ways to boost your dog’s immune system. That helps, too!

I will continue to follow information on this virus. I encourage you to subscribe to my blog posts. Stay well!