Infectious Diseases at the Animal ER

Gloved hands holding up a plastic bag with a biohazard label.

As pet owners, our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of our pets. Unfortunately, pets can sometimes fall ill with infectious diseases that can spread from animal to animal. These diseases, known as infectious diseases, are different from zoonotic diseases, which can be transmitted from animals to humans. Not all infectious diseases are zoonotic.

When a pet arrives at our ER with a suspected infectious disease, we take essential precautions to treat them while safeguarding the health of our other patients. Keep reading to learn about common infectious diseases in pets and the protocols we follow to provide the best care in our animal ER.

A veterinary technician getting bloodwork from a dog.

Common Infectious Diseases in Pets

Several types of infectious diseases are commonly seen in pets, including:

Canine Parvoviral Enteritis: A gastrointestinal virus that most often affects puppies or unvaccinated young adult dogs.
Canine Leptospirosis: A bacterial infection that can affect the liver and kidneys in dogs.
Feline Upper Respiratory Infection: A common cause of fever and nasal/ocular discharge in cats, often a result of a virus and/or bacteria.
Canine Blastomycosis: A fungal infection that typically causes difficulty breathing, especially in dogs who frequent in areas with moist/wet soil.
Canine Kennel Cough (Infectious Tracheobronchitis): This is a complex disease made up of viral and bacterial factors that often spreads between dogs when they visit dog parks, boarding facilities, doggie daycares, or groomers.
Ringworm: A fungal infection in the skin of cats and dogs.
Avian Influenza: This disease can be present in birds but is also a possible emerging pathogen in cats. More information is still being gathered about this disease.

Two images. The first image is of a veterinarian at Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota dressed in full PPE while holding a puppy. The second image shows two team members dressed in PPE inside the isolation ward, caring for pets.

What Happens When a Pet with an Infectious Disease Sees a Vet?

If your pet arrives at our veterinary clinic or animal ER with signs consistent with an infectious disease, the process of being seen may look a little different. That’s because we have to take special precautions to ensure both your pet and other pets receive the best care while minimizing the risk of transmission.

Here’s what you can expect during your visit:

Initial Triage: When you arrive, your pet will be visually assessed by our front desk nurses. This helps determine whether your pet is in distress or stable.
Treatment Area: If your pet shows signs of being in serious condition, they will be taken directly to the treatment area to be assessed and have vitals taken.
Room Setup: If your pet is stable, you and your pet will be escorted to an exam room where a nurse will check your pet’s vitals. To help prevent the spread of infection, staff caring for your pet will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, gowns, shoe covers, and masks (in case of some respiratory pathogens). If the nurse discovers your pet’s vitals are unstable, your pet will be taken back to the treatment floor. If your pet’s vitals are stable, your pet will remain in the room with you until a veterinarian can perform a physical exam.
Examination and Diagnostics: After the exam and necessary diagnostics, your pet may need to be hospitalized for further treatment. When hospitalized, pets with infectious disease concerns are placed in an isolation ward or a miniature isolation setup within our ICU. These measures help to separate other patients from the potential spread of an infectious disease.
Isolation Protocols: Pets needing isolation still receive high-quality care and observation from our nursing staff. Know that owners are allowed to still visit during the hospitalization. For safety concerns, owners must wear protective equipment when visiting their pets.
Discharge Instructions: When your pet is ready to leave the hospital, we’ll give you specific instructions on how to properly clean up after your pet and how to isolate them from other animals until it is safe for them to socialize with other pets again. Each type of infectious disease requires different cleaning and isolating instructions, so these will be specific to your pet.

A veterinary technician wearing full PPE treating a sick cat.

While dealing with an infectious disease in a pet can be overwhelming, our team is trained to follow strict protocols to provide the best care possible for your pet while minimizing risk to others. We’re here to support you and your pet every step of the way, from diagnosis through recovery.

If you have any concerns about your pet’s health or if you suspect your pet may have an infectious disease, contact your family veterinarian or local animal emergency hospital for next steps.