Immunity Building - "Mystery Illness"

I'm sure by now you or someone you know has heard of this new virus spreading in the dog community. As scary as it can be with so much still unknown, there are things you can do as their guardian to keep your dog as healthy as possible. 

Dogs with this mystery illness usually have coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge, are abnormally tired, and do not test positive for any common causes of canine respiratory illness, the Oregon Department of Agriculture noted in a Nov. 9 press release.

How do dogs contract this illness?

With what we know now, this illness is contracted through direct contact with an infected dog. This means nose to nose contact, drinking out of the same water bowl or even exposure to an infected dogs feces. So no, you will not bring the sickness home to your pup and preventing the spread is definitely manageable if you stay on top of it! 

Direct Prevention

Good news is, you don't have to 24 hour isolate your dog. You can still enjoy your walks and public outings as long as you're aware and very careful. Consider it your dogs version of the year 2020; six feet apart and limit their exposure. For now, no dog parks or doggy day cares. If you are walking them in a high dog-traffic area, be cautious of what they interact with or sniff. Common places like fire hydrants, mailboxes or even trees can potentially spread the illness if an infected dog was recently interacting with it. 

Prevention from within

All sickness and the chances of your dog contracting them all lead back to one thing, immunity. Your dogs immune system directly determines what illnesses may be life or death. Right now, the only dogs who have passed away from this mystery illness had an underlying issue or a compromised immune system. Things you can do as a pet parent to build their immune system is actually very simple. Some common foods to implement include blueberries, blackberries, bell peppers, pumpkin, bone broth and even apple cider vinegar. You don't have to spend money on expensive immunity supplements if you're incorporating the right super-foods! 

All and all, try to remain calm and keep up with the updated news. Your fur babies will be okay and if you notice any symptoms, reach out to your veterinarian. This illness is long lasting so it is likely not life threatening overnight. Do your part and be aware because that is all we can really do!  

Faith Samford Rogers