The deaths of several greyhounds in Tasmania has prompted laboratory investigations indicating a bacterial infection associated with kennel cough.
The two strains identified were Streptococcus zooepidemicus and Streptococcus canis.
A kennel cough outbreak in the greyhound industry was declared by Tasracing in mid-February. However Tasracing chief veterinary officer Dr Martin Lenz said it was too early to say if any greyhound had died specifically from the disease.
The Examiner understands two to three dogs have died suddenly.
Concern among dog owners
Dog owner Kathy Harris has been going to the Heritage Park dog park in Invermay for almost 20 years.
"It's part of our daily routine - it's always nice and friendly, we've never had any issues, there's beautiful people," Ms Harris said.
Ms Harris said she was concerned about her three older dogs contracting kennel cough after hearing news about the outbreak.
"It's pretty nasty, all my dogs are vaccinated and hopefully they stay safe," she said.
"As soon as you hear it, you think, should I go to the park? Is it here? Is it there?"
Ms Harris said regular users of the park have a community noticeboard to stay connected.
"If anything goes down people will post. A couple of years ago there was parvovirus, so we stopped coming until it was cleared up," she said.
"Even though they're vaccinated, it's still not 100 per cent."
Post-mortem examinations
Dr Lenz said Tasracing commissioned independent autopsy examinations to determine the dogs' cause of death.
"Kennel cough is not typically fatal in isolation, there is usually a pre-existing or secondary factor that is causal," he said.
As a result of the outbreak Tasracing has suspended all races, trials and the use of training facilities until March 9, 2026.
How does it work?
A statement from Tasracing said both bacteria found in lab reports can be normal inhabitants of the upper respiratory tract in greyhounds but can also cause rapidly fatal disease in dogs that are immunocompromised.
"Disease is often seen in association with kennel cough, where it is thought that kennel cough predisposes to infection by these Streptococcus organisms," it said.
By weakening the airway defences, bacteria can gain access to the lower respiratory tract which can develop into a serious condition called canine haemorrhagic pneumonia requiring intensive care.