There is a mysterious illness that is spreading across the country and is now in Maine.

According to WABI5, a veterinarian in Brewer believes that she has seen cases of the illness. Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic says they have treated at least six dogs with severe respiratory symptoms Monday night alone. They also know that other clinics in the area have seen dogs with it also.

We don't know a lot about this illness, and it appears that it is spreading very quickly. On Tuesday, November 28m USA Today reported that 14 states had seen cases of the illness. Their list did not include Maine, which means there could be other states that are not included.

• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

What are the symptoms of this respiratory dog illness?

USA Today says that according to the American Veterinary Medical Association AVMA, common symptoms of the respiratory illness in dogs include:

• Chronic mild-moderate tracheobronchitis − a sudden or long-term inflammation of the trachea and bronchial airways, according to Merck Veterinary Manual − lasting 6-8 weeks that is barely or non-responsive to antibiotics.
• Chronic pneumonia not responsive to antibiotics.
• Acute pneumonia that quickly turns severe sometimes in as little as 24-36 hours.
• Difficulty or rapid breathing, wheezing, dehydration, fever, nasal or eye discharge, weight loss, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

What can you do to protect your dog?

In Brewer, the co-medical director at Eastern Maine Emergency Veterinary Clinic says that there's still so much we don't know about this illness. They do say it’s spread snout-to-snout, so keep your dog away from other dogs as best you can. Vets believe that kennels and doggy daycares are the leaders in spreading this illness. Dr. Ai Takeuchi told WABI5,

If they’re coughing and acting normally, it’s probably okay to monitor. But, if you’re seeing a cough, lethargy, decreased appetite, and your dog’s just not acting normal, the quicker you get veterinary care, the better it is. It’s the patients who wait four or five days of acting sick that are getting really critical and oxygen dependent. So, if we catch them in the first day or two, they’re doing okay at home on oral antibiotics.

Do what you can to protect your sweet furry friends.