Cases of a mysterious canine respiratory disease are on the decline in Colorado, but experts still don’t know the cause – Greeley Tribune

Fewer dogs are getting sick from a mysterious, potentially fatal respiratory disease that has surged among Colorado canines this fall, but researchers are still trying to answer questions about the disease’s origins.

Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital and the Colorado Department of Agriculture reported that the number of respiratory illnesses in dogs doubled this fall, mirroring similar outbreaks in Oregon, California, Florida and New Hampshire.

Although respiratory diseases are common in dogs, this particular strain caused dogs to cough for weeks and resulted in more cases of pneumonia. In some cases, the dogs died from the disease.

In a statement on Monday, Dr. Michael Lappin, an internal medicine specialist and director of the Center for Companion Animal Studies at CSU, said it’s not clear why cases have dropped but it may be related to pets spending less time in social situations with others. dogs .

CSU experts are working with clinics in Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction to research whether the disease cases are connected to one of the 10 viruses or bacteria known to cause canine respiratory disease, said the university in a statement.

Researchers are also trying to determine if viruses or bacteria have changed or if there is another reason for the increase in disease.