| By Neil Johnson, reporter/anchor, Big Radio |
Wisconsin has joined several U.S. states that are seeing what veterinarians have dubbed “atypical canine respiratory illness” — a cough in dogs that can come with fever and pneumonia.
It’s a cough that can linger weeks, and some vets say it’s not responsive to treatments with antibiotics. In a few states, the illness has reportedly killed some dogs.
Officials in Columbia County, which is north of Madison, officials are reporting apparent cases of viral distemper in dogs that’s a type commonly seen in raccoons. It’s not clear if distemper is the driver in what’s been making dogs sick in other states, but it can have symptoms similar to the ones being reported, including respiratory infections and fever.
Standard dog vaccinations make distemper and other viruses similar less likely to severely sicken animals, veterinarians say.
Janesville veterinarian Mike Hotchkiss says it’s common for dogs to catch coughs around the holidays because it’s when many pet owners who travel board their pets. But he says dog cough season this fall in Rock County hasn’t seemed much different from any other year.
Hotchkiss says he’s seen national news media stories that have sounded the alarm on the illness. He says if it’s an illness that cannot be successfully treated with antibiotics, it’s likely not dramatically different than other respiratory viral infections that cause cough and fever in dogs. Viruses tend not to respond to antibiotics.
Like Hotchkiss, Janesville veterinarian Ellen Schneider says she’s seen no recent local cases of respiratory illness that’s been severe enough to kill dogs.
Schneider says if there’s a rise in viral or bacterial dog coughs, one leading factor could be that in the years coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, some people have grown lax getting their dogs their annual or semiannual vaccinations.
Both vets say if your dog gets a cough but otherwise shows no signs of fever, lethargy or lack of appetite, give it time. If multiple symptoms worsen or linger more than a few days, call your vet.
Also, vets say, keep dogs with a cough away from other pooches for a few weeks.
