With dog respiratory illness still going around, vets caution owners on boarding, daycare

Lilly St. Angelo, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read
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A respiratory illness in dogs is still making its rounds in Burlington, creating a dilemma for dog owners looking to board their pooches for summer vacations.

The illness, still mysterious to local veterinarians, can be severe and in some cases has caused death. Normal symptoms range from coughing and sneezing to low energy and no appetite. From what vets can gather, it is very contagious and dogs can catch it wherever other dogs are.

A dog pauses on a sand bank on Leddy Beach in Burlington in October 2020. Two efforts to designate a state dog in Vermont have gone nowhere.
A dog pauses on a sand bank on Leddy Beach in Burlington in October 2020. Two efforts to designate a state dog in Vermont have gone nowhere.

What vets advise

Dr. Erin Forbes of Mountain View Animal Hospital in Essex Junction started seeing the mysterious illness in dogs in February. Despite the weather warming up, the sickness has not let up, she said. She had a couple doggy patients with bad cases just last week.

"It's been pretty intense so far," she said.

Brandon Dutkiewicz, a veterinary technician at VCA Brown Animal Hospital in South Burlington, said his staff is also still seeing it. He said treatment often includes a short course of antibiotics.

Reactions to medications have ranged from dog to dog which has made it hard to figure out whether the illness is a viral or bacterial infection, Forbes said.

"We haven't really been able to pin point exactly what's causing it," she said.

The main way it's spreading? Doggy daycares, dog parks and boarding facilities − wherever there are multiple dogs. Dutkiewicz said his advice to owners is to avoid these places in Burlington if they can.

"If people don't have to board, don't," Dutkiewicz said.

Both Forbes and Dutkiewicz said it doesn't really matter how big the boarding facility is. Although smaller operations might catch an outbreak faster, all are breeding grounds for respiratory illness.

Dutkiewicz recommends finding a dog-sitter instead of boarding, but if an owner has to board, Forbes said to ask about outbreaks at the boarding facility, make sure dogs are up to date on vaccines and monitor dogs when they return home. If they have develop symptoms of a respiratory illness, Forbes said to bring them to the vet right away.

Contact Urban Change Reporter Lilly St. Angelo at lstangelo@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @lilly_st_ang.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Burlington dogs: Respiratory illness still poses threat to dogs