Veterinarians Warning Dog Owners About Contagious Illness

If you’re one of those people who schedules play-dates for your pup, you may want to cancel or postpone them for awhile. Area veterinarians are reporting seeing an illness in dogs known as “mycoplasma.” It’s similar to kennel cough, which is a highly-contagious respiratory disease. There’s no vaccine and it takes about a month for the illness to run its course. It’s usually contracted in areas where large amounts of dogs congregate, including shelters, doggy daycares, dog parks, and training groups. As a precaution, Dogwood Animal Shelter is postponing a series of obedience courses that had been scheduled to begin next month. The course has been rescheduled to begin October 3rd. If you have questions or concerns about the illness, contact your veterinarian.