New Warning On 'Fatal', 'Highly Contagious' Mysterious Illness In Dogs

Veterinarians are warning dog owners of a new mysterious illness that can be "fatal" and "highly contagious."

According to reports, research is still being conducted but there is a new illness going around in dogs that vets are seeing as of late. Symptoms of the illness include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy -- those of a typical kennel cough.

The new illness is said to be "highly contagious" and "fatal."

While research is still underway, veterinarians are warning pet owners as they see a growing number of coughing dogs related to a mysterious illness.

They say that the illness is "highly contagious" and can be "fatal." Owners should be on the lookout for symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy.

"Instead of that dry cough where the dog felt good, it was now this wet cough where the dog felt sick," Amanda Cavanagh, the section head of the urgent care service at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, said, per "Good Morning America."

"We can ultrasound the lungs to see if there is a problem that is related to pneumonia or the contagious pneumonia that seems to be going around," she added.

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If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms consistently, they should be brought to a veterinarian immediately for further evaluation.

Dr. Callie Harris thanked the outlet for spreading the news, especially with the holidays around the corner. "This is great information especially ahead of the holiday blitz of travel, kenneling, and visiting family members with pets!" she expressed.

Wendy Brown, an Idaho resident, owns three golden retrievers — Bridge, Dooley, and Lulu — one of which showed symptoms earlier this November.

"Dooley started doing kind of this huffing and also seemed to feel quite lethargic," Brown told "Good Morning America" regarding the new illness. "Not too long after, Bridge began to exhibit the symptoms. But his were louder, more boisterous. I thought it was his stomach because he made like a retching sound."

She initially thought her pet had a typical kennel cough, however, the symptoms did not go away -- so she brought him to the vet.

"The vet started him on a 10-day cycle of doxycycline. Today was day 10 and he is not a lot better," Brown said. She admits she doesn't know what caused the illness.

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Unfortunately, not all pets make it through this illness as another pet owner told "Good Morning America" that their "cat passed it to my Chihuahua from close contact, probably saliva droplets. The cat survived, the dog didn't."

If your dog is experiencing any of these symptoms consistently, they should be brought to a veterinarian immediately for further evaluation.