Severe Canine Respiratory Illness Announcement: 

Fall of 2023 

 Introduction:  
Recently, a severe respiratory illness in dogs has been talked about in the news and on TV. The majority of reported cases  have been found in the northwest, but are starting to be reported in the northeast and southeast. The signs of this illness  in dogs starts with a dry and shallow cough, which mimics the signs of the common kennel cough illness. However, the  affected dogs do not respond to conventional medications, such as cough suppressants or antibiotics that are typically  used to treat kennel cough. Dogs affected by this respiratory illness will typically develop pneumonia within 36-48 hours  after showing clinical signs.   

Medical Information:  
Currently, there is not a specific test for this respiratory disease. In most cases, submitting a wide-scope respiratory viral  panel for identification becomes more academic than clinically useful. Essentially, by the time the test results returns, the  patient has presumptive supportive care treatments in place and usually improving. Also, depending on the time of  sample collection, the viral shedding may be much less and testing can lead to a false negative result.  Many veterinarians that specialize in infectious disease believe this is part of the Parainfluenza Respiratory Complex.  Similar to other viral complexes, this respiratory virus can mutate and prove difficult for a dog’s innate immune system to  target and clear it quickly, which can lead to potential pneumonia. As with most viral respiratory diseases in  both humans and dogs, the medical plan is to support the patient and provide an “assist” to the immune system to help  fight and clear the infection.  

Signs consistent with respiratory illness are the following: 

• Coughing/Hacking 
• Increased respiratory effort during a resting period without activity with greater than 50 breaths per minute
• Poor appetite 
• Lethargy or poor energy levels 
• Nasal discharge  

The Veterinarian’s Role:  

As stated above, the medical plan by the veterinarian is to provide supportive care to the patient to help the immune  system fight off the infection and reduce the airway inflammation. At Chattahoochee Animal Clinic, we will typically  ensure that the patient is maintaining adequate hydration, protected from secondary bacterial infections, and able to  rest comfortably without coughing continuously. This is usually accomplished with fluid therapy, antibiotics, and a cough  suppressant.  
Chattahoochee Animal Clinic has a protocol in place during this outbreak and especially during the peak boarding season of the holidays. If a client has an appointment for their dog due to coughing or an upper respiratory-type illness, we ask  for them to check in for their appointment from the car. At that time, the client and patient may wait in their car or on  the porch prior to being seen by our medical staff. The goal of these measures is to reduce the risk of spread within the  hospital or to our boarding pets. We will be able to get the patient’s vital signs and perform a complete physical exam in  an isolated area or even outside in our yard or on the porch. Following the evaluation by our doctors, we may  recommend diagnostics, such as x-rays or a CBC to check a white blood cell count.
Treatments will be based on the  results of the exam and any diagnostics that may have been performed.   

Treatment: 
Medical care will vary from patient to patient. Some dogs may only be treated with antibiotics, cough suppressant, and  instructed to restrict activity for a week. However, others may need more involved care, such as IV fluid therapy, IV  antibiotics, and nebulizing therapy. Every case is unique and will be treated based on the specific signs displayed by the patient. We do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach to medical care.  If the pet does not seem to be improving over the first 5-7 days, then we ask that our clients call us with an update and potentially schedule a recheck exam. During a recheck exam, x-rays may be recommended to assist us in assessing the  lower airway and evaluating for possible pneumonia vs only inflammation. Medication adjustments may also be  recommended at that time. 

Signs of progression or poor response to treatment are the following: 
• The cough becomes more frequent or more intense of an episode 
• Lack of appetite or decrease in water intake 
• Progressive lethargy or lack of energy 
• Breathing pattern changes to a more labored-type appearance  
We will be watching this situation as it develops and keeping our clients updated as we learn more. Dogs in the Roswell  and Alpharetta area are much more likely to be exposed to kennel cough or other common respiratory viruses that we  commonly vaccinate against. So as a medical care team, we continue to stress the importance of preventative care visits  and vaccination against these more common respiratory illnesses out there in the pet community. If you have any  questions please email us at [email protected]. We want the best for our patients, so we will be monitoring for any  new information from the infectious disease experts in veterinary medicine.

COVID-19 ANNOUNCEMENT:

5/10/22 Update:

We at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic continue to monitor Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and assess information from the CDC and World Health Organization.  We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our employees our clients. We are still going above and beyond to keep our hospital clean & disinfected according to recommendations by the CDC. We have made some changes to our scheduling and offer in-clinic visits, curbside and drop-offs, to accommodate all comfort levels and keep our lobby clear for clients and patients to enter and leave safely. We will announce any further changes as they arise.  We are open for normal business hours (excluding holiday hours).  

Feel free to contact us via email ([email protected]) or phone (770-993-6329) with any questions. We will make adjustments as needed, so we can be here for the animal community. Remember if you need medications or food, below are links to have them delivered directly to your home or you can text us your prescription refill requests to 678-434-0847, or continue to email us for all requests. 

Welcome to Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Located in Roswell, Dr. Marcus Smith, Dr Dianne Dawkins and the staff at Chattahoochee Animal Clinic are committed to your pet's health. Chattahoochee Animal Clinic excels in the science of veterinary medicine and was founded in 1982. Since then Dr. Marcus Smith and our staff have excelled in compassionate veterinary care in the Roswell area.

Chattahoochee Animal Clinic is a full-service animal hospital whose mission is to provide the highest standard of veterinary care for pets. Our goal is to be a source of veterinary education for our pet parents, as it pertains to the care of their furry family members. We provide friendly, informative, and supportive services for you and your pet. Communication and client education are the cornerstones of our practice.

We are committed to practicing veterinary medicine with a personal approach. We take an interest in each and every one of our patients and remain committed to providing optimal veterinary care to enhance and extend that relationship for as long as possible.

Chattahoochee Animal Clinic provides the city of Roswell and surrounding communities with state of the art care to address all of your pet's medical, surgical, and dental needs.

Your Pets . . . Our Family! We want to be Your Other Family Doctor!

Click below for our online pharmacy, online Purina diet orders and your very own Pet Portal!

Dr. Marcus Smith & Dr. Dianne Dawkins| Roswell, Atlanta, Alpharetta, and Cobb Veterinarian (30075,30076,30077) Chattahoochee Animal Clinic 770-993-6329



Chattahoochee Animal Clinic
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Scratchpay & Referral Program

Scratchpay offers simple and affordable payment plans for veterinary bills.  Checking your rate does not affect your credit, only takes a couple of minutes and can be done from your smartphone, tablet or computer.

For more information about Scratchpay and to check your rate, click here: https://scratchpay.com

Referral Coupon

We believe the referrals from our friends and clients are the very best way for us to meet new patients. Our referral program offers you a way to save on your veterinary costs while helping out friends. Please pass along one of the Referral Vouchers to a friend. There is no limit on referral credits for you.

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For your convenience, we also offer:

Early Morning appointments and drops-offs

Saturday Appointments

Cremation/burial Services

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Animal Poison Control

Veterinary Partner (Client handouts)

Purina Veterinary Diets

Tips to Reduce Vet Visit Stress for Cats

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  • doctor Smith
    Dr. Marcus Smith
    ( Veterinarian & Owner )

    I am a New Jersey native, but have been down south for over 18 years. While growing up in New Jersey I was involved in the family business of horse racing. My involvement in the daily care of horses and exposure to the variety of medical needs required by the horses kickstarted pursuit of becoming a veterinarian.

    My first stop down south was for college at Clemson University. I received a bachelors of science degree in animal sciences. After achieving my undergraduate degree, I was headed to Alabama to attend Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine. I was extremely honored to be accepted into the program as 1 of the 10 out of state students.

    Read More

  • doctor Dawkins
    Dr. Dianne Dawkins
    ( Veterinarian )

    I have wanted to be a veterinarian since I was five years old. After attending Berry College for 3 years, I was accepted into UGA's Vet School Class of 1991. I met some fo my lifelong friends at UGA and continue to enjoy these relationships today.

    My favorite thing about being a veterinarian is the many relationships I have found with so many clients and the bonds I continue to have with their pets. My goal as a veterinarian is to provide the best medicine and watch these patients grow in a healthy way. I enjoy constantly learning and growing throughout my career. My favorite pets are the senior pets, they have such sweet spirits and character.

    Read More

TELEMEDICINE NOW AVAILABLE

We remain committed to your pet’s health in this time of crisis. We are excited to announce that we are now offering telemedicine services to our pet patients.

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Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Monday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Tuesday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Wednesday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Thursday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Friday

8:00 am - 6:00 pm

Saturday

8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Sunday

Closed

Chattahoochee Animal Clinic

Monday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Tuesday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Wednesday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thursday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday
8:00 am - 1:00 pm
Sunday
Closed