Dog Safety Alert – Respiratory Outbreak

Dear Pawsitive Clients,

Since this past August of 2023, veterinarians around Oregon state started to see an atypical canine infectious respiratory disease circulating around the Portland metro and Willamette Valley areas. The main clinical symptom resembles kennel cough, mainly a dry honking cough. Kennel cough is caused by a complex of bacteria and viruses that affect the upper airways. However, this respiratory disease is thought to be due to a novel virus and a different type of bacteria. The new strain appears to possibly has 3 main distinguishing features:

Chronic mild to moderate tracheobronchitis with a prolonged duration (6-8 weeks or more) that is minimally responsive to oral antibiotics.
Chronic pneumonia that is minimally or not responsive to antibiotics.
Acute pneumonia which rapidly becomes severe and can cause mortality in 24-36 hours.

Currently our recommendations are:

Limit your dogs’ exposure to other dogs. Exercise caution in taking your dogs to doggie day care, kennels, dog parks, agility competitions and avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs.
Use your groomer with caution, please contact your groomer prior to appointments to discuss sanitation/prevention protocols they have in place.
If you elect to continue visiting daycares, boarding, dog parks and grooming please ensure your pet is vaccinated against Bordetella and Influenza to prevent comorbid infections. These vaccines are not effective for the current unknown illness but may reduce co-infections.
If your pet has any coughing, lethargy or decreased appetite veterinary care should be sought urgently- if we are unavailable, please use our triage line to determine if you should seek emergency care.

This is a link with more information on this outbreak: https://www.oregonvma.org/news/reports-of-severe-canine-infectious-respiratory-disease-in-oregon

We wish your family (pets included) a safe and happy holiday season and as always do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns.

Pawsitive Team

To reach our after-hours triage line call Pawsitive Wellness at 541-515-6789 and listen for the option to speak with a Veterinary Professional from Guardian Vet. This service is provided so you can speak with a knowledgeable professional while we are not available. A report of the concerns and discussion will be forwarded to our office, and we will reach out the next business day. If your pet is in true distress and in need of emergency care, please go to the local emergency hospitals.

Pet Neutering and Spaying Services

Spaying and neutering are routine surgeries we perform for dogs and cats at our Eugene animal hospital. These safe, optional surgeries help control the pet population in and around Eugene.

Request Appointment

Pet Spaying and Neutering Procedures

Cats and dogs are usually in the kitten/puppy stage when spayed or neutered, although the procedures can be performed later in life. Spaying and neutering are routine day surgeries requiring anesthesia to keep your pet still and prevent it from experiencing any pain. We will perform pre-operative blood work to ensure your pet is fit and healthy enough to undergo surgery.

The spay procedure is performed on female dogs and cats. During the surgery, the veterinarian makes an incision beneath your pet’s belly button. Both her ovaries and uterus are then removed.

The neuter procedure is performed on male dogs and cats. To neuter your pet, the veterinarian makes an incision in the scrotum, and then the testicles are surgically removed.

As mentioned, spaying and neutering usually happen when pets are puppies and kittens. Feel free to discuss the procedures at your puppy or kitten’s first wellness checkup with us at Pawsitive Wellness Veterinary Care.

Pet Spay and Neuter Benefits

When deciding whether to spay or neuter a pet, it’s essential to know that several health benefits can be derived from these procedures. For example, spaying prevents female pets from entering a heat cycle and eliminates the associated behaviors. This makes female cats and dogs less likely to go outside and engage in dangerous behaviors.

Benefits female pets can experience from spaying:

Reduces female hormone fluctuations
Eliminates uterine infections
Prevents the risk of mammary cancer
Eliminates all risk of uterine cancer and ovarian cancer
Reduces separation anxiety experienced by many female pets

Benefits male pets can experience from neutering:

Reduced risk of prostate infection
Eliminates testicular cancer risk
Male levels of aggression are lowered
Neutered pets are less likely to “roam”
Lowered risk of any diseases associated with hormonal issues

The spay and neuter procedures have been refined over many years and are now extremely routine in veterinary medicine. You will drop your pet off in the morning on the day of their appointment. Once the procedure is complete, we will monitor your pet until it is fully reawakened from the anesthetic. Then, we call you to come and take your pet home. Pet parents almost always take their dog or cat home on the same day that the procedure happens.

In addition to the health benefits, spaying and neutering is potentially a money-saving procedure in the long run. Paying for this simple procedure is much cheaper than caring for an unexpected litter of puppies or kittens.

Pet Aftercare Following a Spay or Neuter Operation

The team at Pawsitive Wellness Veterinary Care will discuss the aftercare concerns once your dog or cat is ready to go home after a spay or neuter procedure. We will generally ask that a pet not be given food for 12 hours before the operation.

You may be given some antibiotics to take home after the procedure. These are usually administered orally and with food to help fight off the possibility of an infection at the surgery site. Typical after-care will involve many of the following steps.

Provide your pet with a safe space or “cave” where they can be alone and rest. This can be a dog, cat house, or any small space they can walk directly in and out of.
Your pet will want to lick or bite at the stitches on their surgical site for a few days. This is normal, but you want to prevent them from doing this. Fitting your pet with an Elizabethan collar or e-collar helps prevent this so the surgery wound can heal.
Reduce your pet’s activity levels so they can rest and heal. If cats have a favorite climbing structure, you might want to remove it from your home for a few days. Limit climbing and exercise so your dog or cat cannot reopen their wound.
Keep your pet dry. You should not give them a bath for the first ten days or so after surgery.
Watch your pet closely every day. Inspect the surgery site to ensure no swelling or other signs of infection. Call us if anything looks wrong!

Contact Us for Spaying and Neutering in Eugene

If you’d like to talk to our staff about spaying or neutering or want to schedule a procedure for your dog or cat, call our Eugene office at 541-515-6789.

Contact Us for Spaying and Neutering in Eugene

If you’d like to talk to our staff about spaying or neutering or want to schedule a procedure for your dog or cat, call our Eugene office at 541-515-6789.