To all our friends and family of Roseway Veterinary Hospital:

We know that there has been a lot in the news recently regarding a new respiratory disease affecting dogs in Oregon and a few other states. We know that you are concerned about your dog’s health and look to us for answers and guidance. To that end, here are a few things we know about the disease and a few things to consider regarding your family member’s safety and health:

• A respiratory illness is affecting our canine patients in some areas of the United States including Oregon.
• Diagnostic testing has not yet confirmed the cause.
• We are taking precautions at Roseway Veterinary Hospital if any respiratory disease is suspected in any of our patients coming to the hospital.
• We have no reason to believe this illness can cause disease in people or cats. We (the veterinary community) do NOT believe that it is caused by the COVID-19 virus.

We are currently advising the following for our canine patients:

Ensure respiratory vaccines are up to date for eligible dogs, including Bordetella (aka kennel cough), Parainfluenza virus and canine influenza virus (which we currently have in stock). To reduce the risk of exposure, you may want to try to limit your dog’s time around other dogs. This may mean reducing or suspending time at doggy daycare or grooming facilities, limiting time in boarding facilities (and considering in-home pet-sitters) and avoiding dog parks and other public areas.

In the meantime, monitor your dog closely for any of the following respiratory signs: coughing or productive coughing (e.g., mucus from the mouth after coughing), sneezing, discharge from the nose or mouth, rapid or labored breathing, lethargy or weakness, decreased appetite or complete absence of appetite, or fever. If you notice any of these signs in your dog, please schedule an appointment with us for further assessment and notify the hospital of respiratory signs in advance of your arrival so that precautions can be taken to prevent infecting other dogs. If an appointment cannot be scheduled within 2-3 days with us, or if worsening or more severe signs are noted, please seek same-day care at an urgent care or emergency hospital facility. Please remember antibiotics should only be used under the direction of a veterinarian in response to clinical signs. Antibiotics do not prevent disease; they do not treat viral diseases and should not be started in patients without symptoms indicating a need for antibiotics.

We know that this can be scary, but we are here to help.