NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A mystery dog illness is spreading across the country right before people board their dogs for Thanksgiving.
At VCA Murphy Road Animal Hospital, Christine Widmann showed us a puppy named Toast. It's her job to make sure dogs stay healthy.
"This is little Toast. He is a puppy that’s up for adoption through Love At First Sight," she said.
Christine stays up to date on canine sickness, and she's been following a mystery dog illness that's showing up in other states.
“Some of this like dry hacking cough can progress to pneumonia, and then that’s where it can get a little trickier and intensive to treat,” Widmann said.
The illness last longer than kennel cough at around four to six weeks.
"I think it’s great to kind of be aware of what’s going on out there, I don’t think we need to panic," Widmann said.
In states like Oregon, hundreds of dogs have been sick, and some have died. And now, cases have been reported in the South. Symptoms include cough, sneeze and a runny snoot.
No official cases have been reported to the state of Tennessee yet.
“There’s not a confirmation test, so there’s been a few suspicious ones, but we’re not quite sure," Widmann said.
Dog Owner Lucy Fredrickson hopes researchers figure out what's going on soon.
"Maybe it’s another pandemic for the little dogs. I don’t really know what’s going to happen, but I think just like in COVID, being aware and trying to do what you can to protect dogs and people,” Fredrickson said.
She got her dog Blue vaccinated just in case. To sneak a peak at this sweet dog's personality, consider watching the player above.
“He’s being kenneled for the Christmas break when we travel, but he’s also up to date on his vaccinations like Bordetella so they say at least right now, that’s the best that they can do," Fredrickson said.
Some kennels are encouraging dog owners to have a backup plan, or someone who can pick up their dog if they come down with an illness during the holidays.
