Commentary by Dr. Dana Graham
Going into this holiday season, when many families travel, there is mounting concern over whether it is safe to board their furry family members.
Driven by media hype over the thinking that there is a deadly respiratory dog virus sweeping the nation, we now have one more thing to worry about during this busy time, don’t we? Ask any veterinarian, and he or she absolutely would be able to tell you that they are seeing more “coughing dog appointments,” as we tend to call them.
This is nothing new. We can also tell you that we see a lot more after holidays, and it simply is a matter of having many dogs being housed together at one time. It’s like parents of young children who know that everyone in the house will be ill for the first few months (or longer) once they start school or day care.
Respiratory disease is transmitted by dog-to-dog contact, sharing of food-and-water bowls and toys.
Facts: When a dog coughs or sneezes, those aerosolized droplets can travel 25 feet, cats’ droplets travel just 3 feet! Infected dogs won’t show many symptoms of harboring a respiratory illness until they start to cough; by that time, they already have been shedding the illness (like we humans do). I’d like to believe people don’t send their dogs to be boarded or groomed if they are ill, but the reality exists that it happens.
So, how can you keep your dog safe? If you speak to your veterinarian, he or she hopefully would tell you that if you have a young dog, a senior dog, or a dog with underlying conditions (especially those who are immunosuppressed or have cardiac or respiratory issues), you may be better off finding a friend or family member to help care for your pet instead of going to a boarding facility. If that is not an option, it may be good to seek out a facility that may have separate spaces for dogs at higher risk. This segregates them from the general boarding space. You may elect not to get them play time, as the illness can be spread there, too. You may wish to have your dog kenneled at the grooming facility, instead of allowing it to run around with other dogs. It also is important to keep your dogs vaccinated against the common culprits that cause disease, especially if you have a social dog, regardless of whether it goes to a boarding facility.
What if my dog gets a cough? Will he or she die? The answer is likely not. Most healthy dogs fight off the infection on their own, as we humans do with colds – and that’s pretty much what this is, a cold. We veterinarians never used to see the dogs that had a cough but otherwise were fine, but due to the worry, and the perception of pets’ health and well-being, we are now.
Many times, medication isn’t needed (just like humans with a cold, there is no medication to “cure this”) — just time and some TLC.
There is a huge difference between a healthy dog with a cough and a sick dog with a cough. As with any type of illness, there is always a small chance of the disease getting worse, but the dogs who get worse clearly are sick. We know this because they aren’t eating, they’re sleeping a lot and they are acting sickly. Regardless, if your dog is coughing, sick dogs need to seek veterinary care. Ultimately, though, the decision to seek medical attention always is up to the pet parent.
So, is there a reason for worry? In my opinion, no, but you need to be smart. Be prepared. Make sure your dog’s vaccines are up to date (and not due to expire the week after they are boarded). Be aware. There is not likely a new respiratory disease sweeping the nation. There are more dogs since COVID-19, there are more dogs going to day care, boarding and being groomed. There are more dog-friendly places to take you furry family to, and that, in a nutshell, means disease will occur more commonly.
Dana Graham is in her third decade of veterinary practice and serves the north-suburban Indianapolis area. For more information, she can be reached at 317.218.3142 during business hours.
