Pet owners on alert as new mystery dog illness surfaces in nearby states

TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) – It’s a busy time at Camp Bow Wow in Troy – on top of doggy daycare – dozens of people are boarding their pups for the holiday.

“Today we had 59 reservations coming in for boarding,” said Connor Viane, camp manager. “So we are approaching a full house for Thanksgiving, And so we’re just really keeping an eye on all of our campers.”

This, as reports of a mysterious illness are surfacing in other states. It is a concern for pet parents – like Stella’s mom.

“I do worry – I do – but who wouldn’t worry when there’s an illness going around,” said Nicole.

It is an illness that affects a dog’s upper respiratory system – similar to kennel cough or canine influenza.

“We’re dealing with a cough – we’re dealing with some nasal discharge – sometimes some discharge from the eyes,” said Dr. Corey Gut. “Some dogs are having fevers and then a lot of dogs are just really lethargic and just don’t have any appetite or energy.”

Gut is a veterinarian at DePorre Veterinary Hospital. She says it’s not clear if the illness is a virus or bacterial infection, making it challenging to treat – and the cough is persistent.

“We don’t have any documented cases in Michigan, but the veterinary community as a whole is seeing that the cough is sticking around in some cases for six to eight weeks,” she said. “Which is a really long time compared to the other diseases that we’ve been seeing previously.”

The concern is that cough developing into pneumonia – and for older dogs or dogs with pre-existing conditions – that can be a problem.

“This is Duke – a French bulldog puppy – so we do worry a little more with smooshy-face breeds,” Gut said. “Because when they do develop respiratory diseases and respiratory symptoms, they can be more severe. And they can be more prone to it because they don’t have a long snout to fight things off.”

Gut says this time of year there are a lot of respiratory illnesses so make sure your dog is vaccinated and go see your vet if you notice any symptoms.

At Camp Bow Wow where they do offer doggy daycare as well as boarding, they say they are paying close attention to the health of the dogs but they need pet parents to do so, as well.

“Ultimately if your dog is showing symptoms, we do ask that you keep them at home,” said Viane. “The only way for us to prevent against the spread is for pet parents to help us identify these concerns.”

The camp manager says sick campers have to be sent home – everything is cleaned twice daily – and there’s an air filtration system as well – plus vaccinations are required.

“All dogs in our facility are required to have Bordatella, distemper, and rabies vaccinations – we always highly recommend the flu vaccination as well,” Gut said.

It’s peace of mind for Stella’s mom.

“She loves it here,” she said.