Mysterious illness spread in dogs, causing pet owners to be nervous

(NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Pet owners across the country might be feeling a little bit nervous. There is a mysterious canine illness that is being spread in dogs.

His hands full with Tilly, Eva and Baxter, Ross Mattau is now watching for signs of a respiratory illness that's making dogs in other parts of the country sick.

"I hope it doesn't come this way. We got our hands full enough with Lyme," Mattau expressed.

The potentially fatal condition has been reported in a number of states. In Oregon, warnings have been issued after dogs that became sick failed to test positive for the typical causes of respiratory illness.

"We're not seeing anything different than normal. So, we've got it on our radar of course to be very vigilant," said Dr. Erin Doyle, Vice President of Veterinary Medicine at Animal Rescue League in Boston, Massachusetts.

Keeping a close eye

Doyle says respiratory illnesses are common in canines and either go any on their own, or are treated with medicine. She also says owners should always monitor the health of their animals.

"Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, similar to what you would see for a cold and people. And so that's what folks should watch out for in their owns pets," Doyle shared.

This unknown illness starts out as a cough and apparently doesn't respond to regular antibiotics, leaving dogs struggling to breathe and in some cases with a serve case of pneumonia.

Nathan Burke says his dog, Ginny, is good shape, but worries about this new potential health threat.

"Big concern, being a dog owner and loving my dog like a lot of people do, part of family. Definitely a big concern," Burke spoke.

No health alerts have been issued in Massachusetts, but people are advised to keep a close eye on their dogs in the coming months and weeks.