Mysterious dog virus not believed to have reached Alberta

A mysterious illness has been causing dogs to get quite sick throughout parts of the United States.

It's a respiratory illness with symptoms including a runny nose, coughing, green nasal discharge, abnormal amount of sneezing, and pneumonia.

But the exact diagnosis? Vets don't fully know.

"From what we know, the mysterious dog illness, it may be a new virus, or a bacterial infection that we have not seen previously. Or it may be the same infections that we've been seeing, just more prevalent than in previous years," explains Veterinarian Krista Gavel with Highview Animal Clinic. "No one has really done a study, or looked into what's causing it, so at this point, we don't know why there seems to be an increase."

Gavel explains that, as of yet, there have been no cases of any unexplained illnesses reported in the area.

"We do tend to see outbreaks of respiratory disease any time dogs are congregating. So, this time of the year, where they're spending more time in doggy daycare, or puppy classes, we do see small outbreaks at that time. But we're about the same as we have been in previous years, for the typical respiratory diseases."

On top of coughing, runny nose, sneezing, and nasal discharge, people should keep an eye on their dog's appetite and behaviour.

Gavel explains that any change in appetite or behaviour can be a cause for concern, and it's advised to seek advice from a vet.

If your dog does catch a respiratory illness, and after a vet visit, it's best to keep them comfortable.

"Keep them out of the harsh conditions outside. So, if it's really cold, they should not spend any amount of time outside in the cold," Gavel says. "Increase humidity in their house. Dry air really dries out the lungs, dries the upper airways out, so it can make it more difficult for those dogs. Just keeping them comfortable and away from other pets, if possible."

Luckily, though, these respiratory illnesses are not transferable to humans and other animals.

While Albertans are currently safe from the mysterious respiratory illness, there is a vet shortage all over Canada and the States.

"There has been a shortage of veterinarians for, probably, the last three years or so. It really seemed to pick up during COVID, when things were shutting down," says Gavel. "There was lots of veterinarians that left practice, maybe took early retirement. And the number of students graduating from veterinary schools wasn't high enough to meet that demand." 

That caused a void that has yet to be filled.

Gavel explains that the vet shortage is worse in rural areas across Alberta.

Some companies are offering incentives, such as signing bonuses, to attract new vets, but there just simply aren't enough people graduating vet school to fill the empty positions.

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