Mystery Dog Illness Is Now Being Reported in 14 States

The alarming cases of an unknown and sometimes fatal respiratory dog mystery illness have now been reported in over a dozen states across the U.S., according to multiple news outlets.

If your dog is showing signs of kennel cough, including coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge and lethargy, there is reason to be alarmed.

According to Lex18, the states where the mystery illness have been found include California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Rhode Island. All have reported cases either officially or anecdotally, according to the nonprofit American Veterinary Medical Association and other independent sources.

Related: Mystery Illness That's Leading to Dog Deaths in Michigan Is Truly Terrifying

Lex18 shared the post to Facebook and dog owners are rightfully concerned. @Brittany commented, "I was told by the vet that a lot of them aren’t reporting the “cases” because the state isn’t requiring them to report the symptoms (cough, pneumonia, etc.) due to them not knowing what the illness is. It’s definitely here in KY." @Alice added "This is so scary. I'm not boarding my dog at all."

While kennel cough clears up after 7 to 10 days, this new illness lasts weeks and sometimes leads to acute, or even fatal, cases of pneumonia.

Yesterday PetHelpful reported an update in the cases which explained, "Dr. Christman says the findings from the University of New Hampshire's senior veterinary pathologist, Dr. David Needle, suggest that the fatalities occurred in dogs with a co-morbidity, which means the dog's immune system was already compromised due to other underlying illnesses."

Vets are still stressing that dog owners use caution when boarding their dogs or taking their dogs to places other dogs are present. As of now it's better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to our fur babies.

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