“We really don’t want people to panic. Respiratory disease in dogs is nothing new,” CornellVet’s Dr. Brian Collins tells PopSci. “But there may be times when it seems like we’re seeing more disease than usual. We’re trying to keep a very open mind and are considering bacteria and viruses that we’re familiar with as well as novel ones.”
If you live in an area where there have been reported cases and your dog is more susceptible and more fragile, “it might be better to try to avoid areas where there are lots of dogs or maybe selecting a smaller doggie social group.”