Dr. Christina Danforth, of the Animal Health Center, Island City, in November 2023 said diagnosing a first case of the new canine respiratory disease wouldn’t be difficult.

LA GRANDE — A new canine respiratory disease that’s infected dogs in Oregon and across the United States hasn’t yet reared its ugly head in Union County.

And as local veterinarians wait to see what develops, they’re urging dog owners to take precautions. That means keeping dogs up on shots, and avoiding places where their dogs might come in close contact with others.

“Do all you can to protect them,” said Dr. Lee Darch, of the Grande Ronde Animal Hospital in La Grande.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has reported some 200 cases of the malady since mid-August, and various news reports say the disease is present across the country. Darch said he’s aware of an uptick in cases the past six months not only in Oregon but also in California and Colorado.

The disease is similar to other canine respiratory ailments. It is an airborne contagion with symptoms including a persistent cough, fever, shortness of breath, sneezing, mucous discharge and lethargy. What separates this disease from others, though, is that it doesn’t respond well to medications such as antibiotics, and it can lead to acute pneumonia. There have been deaths, though the illness is not always fatal.

Researchers have been unable to pinpoint the root cause of the disease.

In many reports, it has been called the “mystery dog illness,” and Darch thinks that’s an apt description.

“The organism hasn’t been identified, so there’s no way to fight it, really,” he said.

David Needle, senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire’s New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, told The Associated Press he has been investigating the mysterious disease for almost a year.

His lab and colleagues at the university’s Hubbard Center for Genome Research have looked at samples from dogs in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Massachusetts and more will be coming from Oregon, Colorado and possibly other states.

He said his team has not seen a large increase in dogs dying from the illness.

Darch said that for now, dogs should be kept away from boarding kennels, dog parks, grooming salons, dog shows and the like. Up-to-date vaccinations are important, Darch said, because a dog with no underlying health conditions has a much better chance of surviving the disease.

Darch and his daughter, Dr. Emily Darch, have owned and operated Grande Ronde Animal Hospital on the east end of Adams Avenue the past three years. To date, they haven’t seen any cases of the illness, nor have they heard of any in Union County.

The news was the same from Dr. Christina Danforth, of the Animal Health Center in Island City.

“So far we have not seen any increase of respiratory diseases in dogs. I would say it’s been the normal occurrence and type of infections,” she said.

There could come a day when that changes. Danforth said diagnosing a first case of the new disease wouldn’t be difficult.

“It’s typical of respiratory infection, with the coughing, sneezing and discharge. Dogs with kennel cough would respond to treatment. If it isn’t responding to medications and symptoms continue to get worse, that would be the biggest indicator it’s in Union County,” she said.

Danforth, like Darch, is troubled by the fact that researchers have been unable to identify the organism causing the new strain of respiratory disease.

“With other diseases like bordatella or influenza we have vaccines, and we can prevent or decrease the severity of illness,” she said. “The scariest thing is we don’t know what’s causing this. There’s not one consistent organism or virus.”

Astrid Hensley, a technician who works alongside Danforth, suggested people should use some extra caution during the upcoming holidays.

“If you’re traveling during the holidays and taking your dog, there’s a chance of picking something up and bringing it back. Maybe keeping the dog home with a sitter would be a better choice,” she said.

Danforth said that while people should exercise care, they should keep the problem in perspective. The new disease is a cause for concern, she said, but not one for panic.

“Yes, there’s been a higher percentage of deaths with this disease because it’s not responding to antibiotics, but that doesn’t mean every dog that gets it is going to die,” she said.

To be on the safe side, people with dogs displaying respiratory symptoms should contact their veterinarian as soon as possible.

“If a dog starts showing symptoms, I’d rather they come in sooner than later,” Danforth said.

She said she thinks dogs will eventually develop immunity to this disease, as they have to others. Darch also said he thinks the threat will pass on.

“My guess is that, like a lot of other things, it will move over pretty quickly and be gone,” he said.