Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRD/CIRDC) is in the news and is causing a lot of concern for dog owners and animal healthcare professionals in the US and Canada.

To date, CIRDC has not, to my knowledge, been classified as a bacterial or viral infection, and information coming in is relatively uneven with little definitive, consistent data to give clarity, thus theories are quite sketchy at best. Except for Cornell University in New York State offering some free testing, leadership from the scientific and government agencies, at the federal, state, and local levels is not clear, with some not even treating CIRDC as a major issue.

Unfortunately, this uncertainty has some of the animal care industry under severe economic stress with appointments and reservation cancellations during this important holiday season. As the general public questions what is happening and whose advice they can trust, the finger pointing and mistrust may be the real pandemic.

Sometimes our governing agencies seem to forget the now distant, early days of COVID-19 and the damage it caused not only to human health with its rapid spread, but also when leadership was too slow to react, and the inconsistent institutional expertise moved like the wind in different directions, leading to confusion and loss of credibility in the eyes of the public.

As a veteran of the initial “Canine Parvo Outbreak” of many years ago, I learned the passing on of factual information and data was the only clear path to take in tamping down ignorance and hysteria. While identifying the organisms that cause Parvo and creating a vaccine was the eventual goal, identifying where, how, when, and who would lead to the steps needed to reduce the spread until the canine Parvo vaccine could be developed, tested, and vaccines distributed to the veterinary community and other health professionals. The data gathered included generally:

1. Age of infected canine
2. Breed
3. Domicile
4. Recent travel, especially where contact was made with other animals
5. Symptoms noticed at onset/mid/last stages and timeframe
6. Drugs and medical steps taken and timeframe
7. Contact info for follow-up
8. Any steps taking to alleviate condition and results
9. Any other information believed pertinent

At the onset of canine Parvo, my work was in pet supply distribution specializing in professional animal supply including:

1. Retail pet stores
2. Grooming salons
3. Veterinarians
4. Boarding kennels
5. Self-wash dog and cat bathing establishments
6. Pet daycare sites
7. Animal rental operators for the entertainment industry
8. Animal rescue groups
9. Professional dog and cat show handlers

This whole range of contacts provided much of the information about the Parvo virus epidemic and association with vet company field reps further aided our knowledge.

Sure enough, a pattern developed through this community of healthcare professionals, with their wide range of backgrounds, experience, and dedication to finding answers, and if not a complete cure, at least a way to reduce confusion and slow down the spread of this outbreak. These organized clues included:

1. The spread of Parvo was most likely through nasal type discharge in animal facilities or gatherings.
2. It appeared to be a brand new type of virus, with little evidence it spread to other species.
3. Parvo was a fast-maturing virus, appearing to do its worst in the first 72 hours.
4. Symptoms vary widely in individual cases, from high, normal, to low temperatures, lethargy, nasal discharge, coughing, and low appetite, to not eating foods and treats especially considered irresistible to the pet, and from normal stools to diarrhea and rapid dehydration.
5. Certain breed types exhibited higher death rates than others, such as Rottweilers, Dobermans, etc., especially in newborns and puppies.
6. At first, except for IV therapy and some smooth muscle relaxant, professional care did not produce consistent results, frustrating the animal care professionals.

The good news is that because the virus was first reported from a rescue facility in New York State, Cornell University and its veterinary school took the leadership role in data collection and showed great skill and fortitude, developing treatments and corralling the elusive canine Parvo virus to be used in creating a preventative vaccine.

There was difficulty growing this virus outside the canine body, so an interim step was taken with an existing small animal vaccine, dramatically reducing the onset, severity, and loss resulting from the disease. However, the supply was quickly exhausted.

For this new threat, Cornell again appears to be leading the charge to discovery with free cell testings. I applaud their efforts, and with added support of the pet professional network, I believe a solution to treatment will be developed and need for a vaccine, or not, will be determined.

There’s something all animal parents and owners should recognize and feel confident about. That is, we in the animal care business are doing our very best to protect their pets, no matter the pet facility used or frequented. And for that, a reminder of our most recent worldwide pandemic, COVID-19, and through painful experience, endured knowing full well that this virus and its variants are still out there and will challenge medical science and treatments for years to come. We may or may not have the magic vaccine that instantly shows up, only to be replaced with a newer, better version. After all, flu vaccines seem to be a never-ending quest as different versions appear every season and cold and kennel cough variants just keep popping up ad nauseam.

A biology professor once enlightened this humble Earth man that our body is under attack almost daily and the only mechanism keeping the human and animal kingdom from completely disappearing is the autoimmune system and the ability for adaptation to a changing environment. He described the immune system in the simplest terms as resembling a computer hard drive that when new, might have a basic antivirus software, if even that, but which can adapt to new challenges with new and updated programs. In all animals, including humans, their immunity starts with mother’s milk, but it is transitory, for when they go off it, it does not carry on or continue, so we rely on vaccines to do the initial programming of the immune system to recognize a threat and get the thymus and other glands to produce a serum that will protect us all from severe sickness and disaster.

But just like most successful defenses, the whole of the body mechanism must be in top-notch shape, and the variations of diet, physical condition, good bodyweight, lingering medical conditions, and mental and emotional well-being have a bearing on a successful autoimmune effectiveness. Sometimes the attack or exposure is so great and concentrated, that even vaccines will not completely protect us all, but may still reduce severity sufficiently to allow at least survival with less permanent system damage.

We will soon continue where we left off in our following article.

Best Wishes,

-The Professor