The BC SPCA is asking dog owners to be aware of what they’re calling an unusual strain of kennel cough that is showing up in some vaccinated dogs in the province, especially in the Kamloops area.

Senior Manager of Animal Health, Dr. Emilia Gordon, says the cases were first detected last month, noting the BC SPCA has seen 24 cases in its facilities, with other reports coming from the community.

“Any dogs in our care who were showing symptoms were immediately isolated, but as we began testing for known viruses and bacteria, the tests kept coming back negative,” she said. “After consulting with specialists, we believe the cause could be a virus that isn’t detected by commercially available tests.”

While most dogs affected were vaccinated, Gordon says the SPCA is still recommending that people vaccinate their dogs to reduce illness.

“It appears that we may be dealing with a virus that is not part of the current vaccine,” she added.

In the meantime, Gordon says the BC SPCA wants to raise awareness with veterinarians as well as with people to prevent the spread of the disease.

“Because the causative agent is unknown we want to make sure that people are vigilant in isolating their dogs immediately if they start coughing,” she said, noting some of the dogs that were infected had eye or nasal discharge.

“None of the dogs have become seriously ill and all are recovering, but the concerning aspect of these cases is how aggressively the disease has spread between dogs, even if they weren’t in close contact.”

If your dog begins coughing, Gordon says to isolate the animal and to seek veterinary advice.

She also notes the BC SPCA has collected samples as part of the outbreak investigation and is teaming up with specialists and diagnostic laboratories to determine the cause of the outbreak.