Dog owner reveals 6 tips to help your pooch avoid getting life-threatening mysterious illness sweeping the U.S.
An Instagram-famous dog owner has shared tips on how animal lovers can prevent their furry friends from contracting a mysterious virus sweeping the US.
Dog parks are a popular location for dogs to walk around with their owners and bond with other animals
The pet owner showed users how he washes his dog’s paws and nose after a walk to ensure the dog doesn’t contract the disease.
Because atypical infectious respiratory diseases in dogs are contagious, the dog owner recommended taking breaks at dog parks.
The animal lover said that even if your dog “stinks” like Brady or Graffiti, you should avoid taking your best friend to a groomer who could wash an average of eight canines a day.
Bradythecorgi also suggested that dog owners not stop to say hello to other animals while walking to avoid close contact between pests.
The influencer said dogs should also avoid public water bowls, especially if they are in a popular dog park.
Ultimately, he reminded owners that it’s important to “don’t panic and pay attention to the symptoms.”
The University of New Hampshire believes they have identified the bacteria causing the wave of illness.
Dr. David Needle, a veterinary pathologist who led the research, said it was a ‘funky’ organism – which has not yet been named – and had not been seen before.
His team discovered the bug by conducting forensic tests on 70 dogs that had developed the tell-tale symptoms over the past two years.
Dr. Needle said this was “new as a potential cause of disease, but it is likely – or evolved from – part of the dog microbiome (millions of bacteria found in the intestines of animals).”
He also described the bacterium as smaller than other species and said it had few specific genetic characteristics, making it harder to detect.
Veterinarians have previously suggested that the disease is spread through virus-infected respiratory droplets released into the air when dogs sneeze, cough or bark.
Dogs can get extremely close to other animals if they pass them on a walk or even by chance in an indoor or outdoor location
Some dog parks have water bowls for animals that roam in warm climates and can be used by hundreds of dogs per day if the location is popular
Dog groomers can wash up to 8 animals a day if their business is popular enough. If a dog is not cared for, it can become ‘stinky’ like Brady and Graffiti
If you look closely, several symptoms are easy to spot, such as coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, runny noses and no energy.