Information regarding recent news reports concerning Canine Respiratory Disease

November 24, 2023

We’ve been closely monitoring reports on Canine Respiratory Disease and as more information becomes available we will be sending out updates as needed.

According to a recent communication from the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association:

“The State Veterinarian and the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (WADDL) are not seeing an increase in respiratory disease in shelters (sic) animals or other areas but have heard of localized outbreaks of respiratory disease.

Respiratory disease outbreaks are relatively common at this time of year.  It is unclear whether the stories in the media are about a new respiratory disease or the more commonly experienced seasonal diseases such as Kennel Cough.  Heartworm may also be a cause of respiratory symptoms.

WADDL (Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory) has had cases submitted likely rising from concerns from the media attention, however other various causes have been determined with no linking cause between cases.  There have been mortalities reported in Oregon, but at this point there is still no clear linking cause.

The State Veterinarian strongly recommends that owners make sure their pets are appropriately vaccinated to protect them from respiratory and other diseases.

It is also recommended that if dog owners hear of local respiratory disease, their dogs should avoid dog parks, shared drinking bowls, and other areas where multiple dogs are grouped together.”

To our knowledge, we are not seeing cases of this outbreak in our local area.  In the past, we have not routinely recommended vaccination for canine influenza vaccine (CIV) as it had not been a common infection in our area.  However, given the currently unknown cause of the illness, we are now recommending that dogs should be vaccinated for CIV if they will be going to boarding kennels, staying at doggy day care, visiting dog parks, or going to grooming, etc.

If your dog has not been previously vaccinated for CIV, vaccination involves a 2-shot series given 3-4 weeks apart.  Depending on your pet’s age, medical conditions and time since they last received a full examination, they may be able to have their vaccination with our technical staff.  However, some patients will require a doctor’s exam prior to the first shot.

Please give our office a call at 206-842-1200 if you have any questions or wish to schedule an appointment.  As we have been receiving an increase in calls and requests for scheduling, we ask for your patience and understanding as we try to accommodate as many patients as possible.

Mark Swaney DVM                         Lianne Tabata DVM                         Marie Quicksall DVM                      Jessica Haggar DVM