Ohio veterinarians prepare for mysterious illness spreading among dogs

OHIO — A highly contagious, potentially deadly illness for dogs is spreading across the county and veterinarians don’t know what it is.

The unknown respiratory illness has been reported in 10 states, but Ohio hasn’t seen any yet.

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News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with a veterinarian in Montgomery County who said owners must be cautious as this illness is extremely contagious.

“Dogs can pick it up from dog parks, groomers boarding facilities,” MedVet emergency room Veterinarian Kevin Przybylski.

This illness is like kennel cough and symptoms include sneezing, coughing, and a runny nose.

“It could be fatal. In serious cases, this is documented to be fatal,” Przybylski said.

He compared the illness to a variant of kennel cough, saying it is like the different variations of COVID-19.

“I think it’s around the right prediction…It’s not been antibiotic-responsive. So we’re thinking it’s it’s a virus rather than a bacteria,” Przybylski said.

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Since it is similar to kennel cough, local shelters are on high alert.

“I’ve been holding my breath, just waiting for the next outbreak,” Preble County Humane Society Manager Leslie Renner said.

Renner says whenever she hears about the first signs of a new illness, she jumps into motion.

“We start immediately with treatment…In a really bad case, we will end up treating probably half of them,” Renner said.

Even though this illness hasn’t shown up in Ohio yet, Przybylski knows it’s only a matter of time before he sees cases.

Currently, the states that have seen this illness include Oregon, Colorado, New Hampshire, California, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Georgia, and Florida.

The first case was reported in Oregon in August. Since then, the state has seen over a hundred reports from vets regarding the illness.

“We’re expecting it and ready for it when it does arrive,” Przybylski said.

Przybylski said dog owners should be mindful right now and if their pet has health problems, keep them away from other dogs and make sure they are vaccinated for kennel cough.

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