Advisory on Canine Respiratory Disease - RI DEM

Please see the latest information and advisory on canine respiratory disease from the RI Department of Environmental Management here.

RIVMA would like to offer the following information to help practices respond to questions that clients likely have about the respiratory disease.

We hope these talking points and resources are helpful to you in supporting your clients.

What symptoms should owners be on the lookout for and when should they seek veterinary attention?

Anecdotally, almost all of these cases seem to start off as a mild cough roughly within 2-10 days of exposure to other dogs who may or may not have been coughing. Most dogs will just have a prolonged cough for many weeks that goes away on its own, but other dogs become lethargic, have a fever and may develop labored breathing. Any signs of labored breathing or extreme lethargy warrant a veterinary visit ASAP. A mild cough in a dog that is still eating and drinking and acting normally otherwise warrants a call to your veterinarian, but should not require an emergency visit unless there are pre-existing conditions that your veterinarian is concerned about. 

Should owners be boarding and grooming their dogs?

If a dog needs to be boarded/kenneled or groomed or go to daycare, we recommend asking the facility what precautions are being taken to try to prevent spread of this novel disease. It is our hope that groomers, day cares, kennels and boarding facilities are performing surveillance to make sure sick dogs are not being allowed in, have notification practices in place if a dog should become sick while staying at or after leaving their facility, and that they have a plan for disinfection. These are important questions for pet owners to ask any facility that may be caring for their dog. We also strongly recommend that all dogs, regardless of whether or not they meet other dogs, should be up to date on vaccines based on the guidance of their veterinarian. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND TALKING POINTS ARE AVAILABLE

Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center

Clinician's Brief