4 R Friends is aware of reports of a canine respiratory illness circulating in several US states starting in August 2023.

Reported signs include coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, and lethargy. It is important to remember that these are all common signs with any respiratory illness.

It is not known whether a new disease is emerging or if reports represent an uptick in cases of CIRDC (Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex, commonly known of Kennel Cough).  

At this time, infectious disease experts are monitoring cases and gathering information to better understand the causes and nature of the problem.  

Dog owners concerned about their pets contracting this or any respiratory illness, should follow these precautions:

Limit your dog’s contacts, especially transient contacts with dogs of unknown health status.

Keep your dog away from sick dogs.

Talk to your veterinarian about vaccination against canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) and Bordetella bronchiseptica .

Dogs who are currently ill should be kept away from other dogs.

More information may be found in the following sources:

https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2023/12/articles/animals/dogs/canine-infectious-respiratory-disease-update-dec-1-2023/

https://www.avma.org/news/making-sense-mystery-illness-found-across-us

Extending our reach and bringing our resources to new communities is one of the 4 R Friends’ great strengths. As a small, grassroots organization, we can adapt our services as our client communities change and move through the area. And adapt we did this weekend, when our team headed out to a new location in Sacramento just north of the river. There we set up a temporary clinic to provide free veterinary services for a new community in need.

This new Evergreen Clinic provided preventative vet care, check-ups, treatment for existing conditions, and maintenance for a whole new group of dogs, puppies, and a few cats right in their neighborhood. It was exciting to see new faces, connect with their stories, and meet their canine and feline families. Helping puppies stay updated with their vaccines, providing collars and leashes to those who were more than ready for a wardrobe upgrade, and ensuring ticks are a thing of the past were just a few services we were able to provide for these families.  Without prompting, the majority of client with unaltered pets requested appointments for spay and neuter, which we will provide, also for free, in the coming weeks.

And like many of our other clinics, we saw the lovely wide range of dog types from the purse pooches to the amazing stoic guardians who are loyal as the day is long. But the one thing that is ALWAYS the same at every clinic is this group's love and devotion for their furry families. It never falters and shows in spades as they stand and wait in line to make sure they can get everything their pack needs to be happy and healthy.

 Their appreciation and constant thanks are not necessary. Still, the best part of the whole day is assuring everyone that we are not a one-off event, and we will be back next month and to encourage them to come back and get more food, flea and tick prevention, and collars for those puppies who will have chewed or grown out of their current ones. When they learn that we will see them again, the look on their faces means everything to us. 

It made the difference for one gentleman who was going to surrender his dog because he felt he couldn't care for him long-term, but on hearing we would be back, he changed his mind. 

We are so lucky to have these moments, to be able to see and meet all the friends in these communities, human and furry. And we are so very fortunate to have a supportive community that enables us to do this work both through volunteer time and donations. So welcome to our new Evergreen Clinic. We can't wait to go back!

In the interest of public safety, we have made the difficult decision to curtail our free clinics until the COVID-19 epidemic has been brought under control.

We know that your needs for pet care will not take a break during this time, just because business as usual has been put on pause.

We urge you to exercise an abundance of caution to avoid exposure to parvo in your young dogs who may not be fully vaccinated. Please keep them at home, and off the streets, out of parks,, and away from other puppies, if possible. For those who live outdoors with puppies, please do not allow them to eat off the ground, and rather feed them from regularly cleaned bowls, as the parvo virus inhabits soil, grass, and dust.

If you require emergency care for your dog or cat, and cannot obtain care elsewhere, please contact us by email at info@4rfstreetvets.org. Please include your pet’s breed, age, sex, and a description of the problem. If our veterinarian is available, we will arrange to meet with you to offer assistance. Our capacity to serve you at this time is limited, and we apologize in advance if we are not able to provide care in your time of need.

NOTE: We cannot provide any medical advice by email or phone.

Thank you for understanding, and please stay safe and well.

The American Veterinary Medical Association is providing excellent information for pet owners regarding SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Please use this link to access their frequently updated FAQ paper.

New research has been published in the journal Science regarding the susceptibility of pets to the virus:

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/04/07/science.abb7015?rss=1

We wish you all health and happiness in these trying times.