Veterinarians in Wilmington area report unusual strain of kennel cough in dogs

Veterinarians at Atlantic Animal Hospital, which closed its doggie daycare and day boarding services over the illness, said they've seen it.

“What we are seeing is a different bacteria called Mycoplasma and that’s something that we don’t regularly vaccinate for," said Dr. Chad Joplin.

Symptoms of the virus include a cough, nasal discharge, discharge from the eyes, lethargy, or fever. If a dog shows any of these symptoms, it's important to contact your veterinarian.

According to Joplin, since the illness it is spread through airborne droplets, the best thing to do is to distance your dog from other dogs.

“Just like the way we are doing now with masks and social distancing while we are not sure what’s going around Wilmington, it’s smart not to allow your dog to go nose-to-nose with other dogs that you don’t know," he said.