GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As COVID-19 restrictions continue to lessen, people are excited to travel again for the holiday season.
But for some families, pets are not included in those holiday plans. That means boarding facilities and other places where dogs are in close contact will become better breeding grounds for bacterial and viral diseases.
"We tend to see a lot of sickness around holidays because dogs are being boarded together," said Dr. Ryan Carpenter, Owner of Family Friends Veterinary Hospital in Grand Rapids, "and we'll tend to see some respiratory issues."
Dr. Carpenter said West Michigan is currently seeing a bit of an outbreak of upper respiratory infections and pneumonia-type sicknesses in dogs.
"There's a string of respiratory disease that veterinarians in the area have been paying close attention to," he said, "and we're not exactly sure what the underlying cause is."
He said vets also aren't sure what is triggering the sickness, especially because the infection has been resistant to the antibiotics they normally use for treatment.
"Keep an eye on your pet for any respiratory changes like sneezing, coughing, not acting right, or nasal discharge," explained Dr. Carpenter, "and if you're seeing any of that, contact your veterinarian."
Dr. Carpenter also said there is a national shortage of canine influenza vaccines, likely due to continuing supply chain issues.
"I think we'll continue to see the problem through the next few months," he said. "And the reason this shortage is significant is because many facilities do dog boarding, doggie daycare, grooming, and anything that has exposure to other dogs."
"So that's why we want to try to protect our dogs as best we can," he added.
Luckily, experts say both canine influenza viruses and upper respiratory infections pose a low threat to humans.
"I think we can keep doing the activities we're doing, but just make sure your dogs are always up-to-date on their vaccines," said Dr. Carpenter.
If you have any concerns you can contact your veterinarian, or one of the local animal clinics in West Michigan.
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