MILWAUKEE – A new and mysterious disease is spreading among dogs in multiple states across the country.
The Associated Press reports cases in Colorado, New Hampshire, and roughly 200 in Oregon.
Amy Cotteleer breeds dachshunds with Platinum Dachshunds in Muskego, WI. She told Wisconsin’s Morning News how it is presenting in dogs.
“It manifests as a lot of hacking and coughing for the dogs,” explained Cotteleer. “Dogs that are immunocompromised and older dogs are going to be more susceptible to it. Keeping them out of public areas where there are dogs is very important.”
Veterinarians studying the disease say that some dogs have died because of the infection, but have encouraged dog owners to not panic. Scientists, as well as Cotteleer, strongly encourage pet owners to double check that their pet is up to date on their vaccinations.
Cotteleer says there are multiple day-to-day steps they take to ensure the safety of their dogs that any pet owner can observe as well.
“Taking off our shoes when we come home and disinfecting things are very important because we don’t know what this is, and we don’t want to bring this home and infect our whole kennel.”
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