Mysterious dog illness confirmed in Des Moines
By Pepper Purpura
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Cases of a mysterious dog illness are showing up in Des Moines. In fact, one local veterinarian says she first saw it in September.
Sick dogs exhibit symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge and lethargy. It can also cause a respiratory illness and pneumonia that does not respond to antibiotics, perpetuating the dog’s symptoms and, in a few severe cases, leading to death.
“They look, sound and everything about them feels like it should be a kennel cough type of disease, but they’re just not responding like a normal kennel cough would,” South Des Moines Veterinary Clinic veterinarian Melissa Beyer said.
This is the first time KCCI has been able to confirm the mysterious illness in Iowa.
Beyer said the symptoms are common for many illnesses, but when she runs tests, the results for each come back negative.
“That’s where it’s hard because something is causing a cough, but we don’t know what yet,” Beyer said.
Beyer’s clinic is hyper-vigilant to prevent the spread, she said. But with more people boarding their dogs while they travel for holidays, she’s worried the close proximity could spread the disease.
To keep your pet safe, Beyer recommends making sure your dog’s immunizations are up to date and avoiding contact with other dogs, especially if they are exhibiting symptoms. If your pet is exhibiting symptoms, she urges you to contact your vet “sooner rather than later” to ensure the issue doesn’t worsen.
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