What Montana Dog Owners Need to Know About New Illness

The heartbreak of losing a family pet is never an easy thing to have happen.  And as a pet lover, you will have it happen more than once in your lifetime of having a furry friend accompany you through your journeys.

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You hope that you have as much time as possible with them, but in some cases, it can come at a breathtakingly rapid speed.  My family experienced it earlier this year when our matriarch passed suddenly from cancer.

As such, we have made even more effort with our pack to keep them healthy.  But a new illness that is affecting dogs has given me some serious concerns about using a boarding service when we leave on vacation.

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What Montana Dog Owners Need to Know About New Illness

A relatively new illness is starting to be more prevalent in dogs especially but also has been seen in cats at a less common rate.  The illness is "Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus" and it can lead to a severe pneumonia in your dog(s).

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According to the National Library of Medicine, the disease could be spread by infected horses.  It was first observed in racing greyhounds in the late 1970's, but cases in the last 3 years have increased in reports and new geographical areas.

How to Spot Signs of this Dangerous Pneumonia in Your Dog

Because the disease is newer to the veterinarian and scientific communities, treatment for this illness is still in its infancy and reported deaths in animals can occur within 24-48 hours of first noticing a problem.

If your pet shows signs of the following symptoms, you should see a vet immediately:

You can learn more about this disease in your dog here.