We’ve received a high volume of calls regarding the mysterious respiratory illness in Oregon that was widely reported by the media. Unfortunately we know almost nothing about the causative agent, or even whether this is a real outbreak – this may turn out to be normal variation of background respiratory infections magnified by social media posts into a media storm. We have seen the normal uptick in upper respiratory cases this fall, but no outbreak of unusual respiratory cases anywhere in Northern California (see second link below). At this point our recommendation is to consider the following measures:

1. Make sure your pet is up to date on Bordetella, DHPP, and Canine Influenza vaccinations (you can email us for vaccine status, or check on your Pet Portal page).
2. Consider limiting your dog’s contacts until more is known about whether there is truly a threat, especially if your pet has pre-existing airway problems (chronic bronchitis, collapsing trachea, laryngeal paralysis, Bulldogs, Frenchies, Pugs).
3. Keep your dog away from sick dogs.
4. If your dog is sick, keep him/her away from other dogs, and call us for an appointment.  If symptoms progress rapidly, within a 12 hour span, go straight to the emergency clinic.
5. Cats appear safe, no cases reported so far.

Here are posts from a top national expert in infectious disease, Dr. Scott Weese:
https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2023/11/articles/animals/dogs/respiratory-disease-in-dogs-sweeping-across-the-us-outbreak-of-disease-or-media-attention/

Here is a very recent post from a top professor at UC Davis:
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/uc-davis-school-of-veterinary-medicine-weighs-in-on-mystery-dog-disease/

Best regards, Dr. Gyulassy.