Since January, a small number of mysterious sudden deaths of dogs at racetracks and dog shows have been reported. The cause of these deaths has now been linked to a bacteria called Streptococcus canus . In most instances, dogs with this disease become very weak and may experience rigid legs and mild convulsions.
Dogs develop a non-productive cough.
The signs may also include swelling of the legs. There may be bleeding from the nose or bloody diarrhea. That is extremely important in making the diagnosis. It is vital that dogs showing symptoms of this disease be treated immediately with injectable penicillin G or clindamycin. Investigators suspect we may be seeing more of it because increased antibiotic use may select for bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic.