Dated: Nov 27, 2023 RE: canine infectious respiratory disease complex; aCIRD (Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease), related to mycoplasma (not yet specifically confirmed or determined).

A Suggested Canine Immune Protocol for the 2023 Cold/Flu Season

Below please find some suggestions I have put together for people concerned about the recent “Atypical Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease” (aCIRD) spreading throughout the United States. To date, there are no confirmed cases in San Francisco County, but there have been reported cases in the state of California.

A lot of our SFRAW members have been asking for our recommendations on what they can do, so I prepared the below protocol for their consideration.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available to you to protect your dogs from infectious respiratory illness and for treating uncomplicated cases at home using various methods and approaches.

If you are a SFRAW Member or live near San Francisco, we keep all the referenced products in-store and they are available to purchase any time. I provided links to our Apothecary by SFRAW website where anyone may purchase select products and have them shipped.

I hope this information provides comfort and support for those looking to take some action and be prepared.

Our approach is based upon Natural Rearing principles. Other sources will have their own suggestions and recommendations. As always, please do your research before making decisions in the best interest of your individual dogs.

Note: Doses are for dog’s size. Smallest doses for smallest dogs, largest doses for large/giant breeds.

• SFRAW Immunity Blend – aromatherapy to be used topically only. Use daily and/or when visiting areas with lots of dogs, etc.
• SFRAW Wholefood Vitamin C Blend – added to food daily.
• Feral Fungi Myco Vitality Blend (¼ to 1 dropperful, 1-3 times daily) or Om Mushrooms Cordyceps & Immune mushrooms or Four Sigmatic Defend Blend (1/4 – 1 tsp each, 1-2 times daily)
• Now for Pets Immune Support, Animal Essentials Super Immune or VenJenz Motherboard (all for pets, follow instructions on label)
• Colostrum powder (1/8 to ½ tsp, added directly to mouth or a little water) or frozen Raw Colostrum (1/4-1/2 fl oz per 10-lbs of pet’s weight, taken straight, not added to food); take doses multiple times, 2-8 times/day.
• Freeze-dried thymus gland capsules (2-8 capsules/day) or raw fresh/frozen thymus (“throat sweetbreads“) ¼-1 oz fed daily.
• Bone Broth, 1 fl oz per 10-lb body weight per day – simmered with grated/minced turmeric and ginger for added support.

If cough/respiratory symptoms begin – even with just a teeny tiny indication of a slight cough:

• Gemmo Silver Fir, Abies alba – 15 to 50 drops 3 times/day in a small amount of water or directly to mouth.
• Drosera 30C * – 1-2 pellets, given directly to the gums/lips, or dissolved in the colostrum or added to milk, butter or yogurt. 15-minutes before meals or 2-hours after. Give 1x/day, as needed, for no more than 5-7 doses. Stop as soon as symptoms improve.
• Elderberry Syrup – few drops up to 1/8 tsp 1-3 times/day given directly to the mouth or added to water. Ideally, not with meals.
• Feral Fungi Myco Breathe (¼ to 1 dropperful, 1-3 times daily)
• Loquat Respiratory Syrup (1/2 teaspoon to 1 Tablespoon, every 2 hours, as needed to soothe coughs/sore throats)
• N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) (300 mg per 30-lbs body weight, 1-2 times/daily) – a precursor to glutathione, NAC breaks down excess mucus in the airways, which can be a major contributor to lung infections; it also reduces inflammation and helps prevent colonization by viruses and bacteria in the lungs.

Suggested Foods/Ingredients:

• Oysters – source of zinc; high in immune-boosting micronutrients, especially beneficial when given during the early stages of common respiratory infections.
• Soaked/Sprouted Pumpkin Seeds, ground into a powder with fresh garlic (1/2 teaspoon to 1 TBS/day) – source of zinc, a mineral that helps the immune system fight bacteria and viruses.
• Liver – source of vitamins A, D & zinc.
• Bone Broth (onion & salt-free) – contains protein and glutamine, essential for the growth and function of immune cells and the regulation of cytokines.
• Salmon Roe – extremely high in antioxidants, good source of vitamin D and the amino acid lysine (a major amino acid that plays a crucial role in immune health).
• Cod Livers – contains nutrients that helps fight off respiratory viruses.
• Turmeric Root – contains plenty of vitamin C and the antimicrobial agent, curcumin, which fight infections and support the immune system.
• Coconut Oil – an effective antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal agent.
• Manuka Honey – increases the release of cytokines that are vital for keeping immune systems well-functioning; has strong antimicrobial effect.
• Stewed Meats – served warm, can provide nutritional support for animals when they’re chilly or becoming ill. Don’t buy commercially prepared broths or soups for human consumption. Make your own by simply cooking pieces of meat and organs in water with a bone (discard of the cooked bone afterwards – cooked bones are not safe for dogs or cats to eat) or in bone broth (onion/salt-free) with a little garlic, ginger, kombu, and splash of apple cider vinegar. This can be fed in a bowl or poured over their raw meals; serve the cooking liquid along with the meat.
• Pear with Ginger tea – for sore throats/coughs: slice a fresh organic pear, add some grated fresh organic ginger – steep in hot water and add to your pet’s meals.
• According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), foods associated with the Metal element and Lung energy would be helpful to include in the diet are Eggs, Duck, Pork, Radishes, White Mushrooms, Kale, Peppermint and Pears.
• If mucous is a concern, avoid dairy and carbohydrates/sugars.
• Glandular therapy – feeding lung tissue may support lung health – choose fresh, frozen raw lung (¼-1 oz fed daily) or freeze-dried lung (2-8 capsules/day).

 Additional Suggestions That We Recommend:

• Feed a raw food diet and carefully prepared treats made yourself or by someone you know and trust. Avoid processed foods and treats.
• Do not stop exercising your dog outdoors; your dog’s paws/body should be on natural earth (sand, soil, grass) for a minimum of 2-hours/day or longer. This can include time spent in gardens or yards with natural earth. The more they are outside, the better it is for their immune system.
• Avoid exposure to harmful toxins including flea/tick/heartworms “preventatives” and microbiome disrupting, vital organ stressing drugs like NSAIDs. Ask us about safer alternatives!
• Add 1-3 drops of Immunity Blend to a humidifier or in bathroom sink/shower for exposure to moist hot steam, to aid with congestion & respiratory symptoms (cough, breathing), only if needed. This is not something to do unless your dog has symptoms.
• Do not vaccinate your dog. Avoid exposure to dogs that have been recently vaccinated for 2 weeks after vaccine was given. This is especially true for Bordetella and/or the Canine Influenza vaccines. Yes, this is going against the common mainstream recommendations.
• Don’t allow your dog to drink from communal water bowls.
• Keep your dog away from places where lots of dogs are visiting in high numbers or in close proximity until this is over – especially if any of these places could be stressful for your dog. This includes veterinary hospitals (unless it is a life-threatening emergency, of course!), boarding facilities, grooming facilities, heavily used dog play areas, dog classes, dog shows, etc.
• Don’t worry! Do what you need to take care of yourself and minimize your level of stress and anxiety. Your level of stress and concern is felt by, and directly impacts, your dogs. They look to you to feel safe, emotionally secure/relaxed, and stress-free. This is really important for their immune systems to function properly.
• Remember: Our dogs’ immune systems are simply amazing and capable of incredible things; but only if/when we aren’t doing things to interfere with their immune system’s ability to function at a high level. Simply provide them with the tools and space they need to be powerful and vital to reap the rewards of a healthy and robust immune system!

Immediately seek veterinary advice/counsel under any of these conditions:

• temperature above 102 degrees
• difficulty breathing
• they become lethargic
• gum color becomes very light or very dark colored (look now to determine what is normal for your dog so you know what would be too light or dark)
• signs of dehydration – gums are dry/tacky & skin stays stuck “up” with pinch/tent test instead of going back down into place on the body (when you pinch their skin)

* – HOMEOPATHIC MATERIA MEDICA

Alternative Homeopathic Remedies to consider besides Drosera 30C. If symptoms fit better, use ONE of these alternative remedies, choosing whichever matches your pet’s symptoms best. Only use ONE remedy, do not combine remedies. Same dosing recommendations: 1-2 pellets, given directly to the gums/lips, or dissolved in colostrum or added to milk, butter or yogurt. Given 15-minutes before meals or 2-hours after. Give 1x/day, as needed, for no more than 5-7 doses. Stop as soon as symptoms improve. Do not continue to give a remedy if it is not helping your dog feel better/improve. Do not try one remedy after the other – this complicates your pet’s vital force (and dis-ease/illness). Full information on how to use homeopathic remedies for your pets can be found here. 

Aconitum napellus  30C For symptoms after great fears, stresses, chills, or sudden and dramatic changes in weather (after a suddenly very chilly, windy day, for example). Great anxiety and fear in the patient, that “deer in the head lights” look. Sudden onset fever with a thirsty patient, abortions, founder, colic, convulsions, and pneumonia.

Antimonium tartarticum 30C For respiratory conditions where there is a heavy rattling in the chest. Pneumonias, bronchitis, asthma and whooping cough with thick white mucous, difficulty breathing, and deep cough. May present with constipation, alternating with diarrhea. Hoarseness. Great rattling of mucus, but very little is expectorated.

Belladonna 30C Symptoms arise suddenly and are attended with intense anxiety, sometimes with aggression, and dilated pupils during periods of aggravation. Cough is dry and accompanied by fever, chilliness and sweaty paw pads; occurs on slight motion and may occur in spasms. Thirsty for cold water or thirstless. 

Baptisia tinctoria 30C Remedy for influenzas that cause a profound prostration, weakness of the neck so head cannot be held in position, and with the inability to swallow food, only water.

Bryonia alba 30C Any condition worse from any movement. Pleurisy and pneumonia when even the movement of breathing is painful. Dry cough aggravated by movement with great thirst – thirst is the distinguishing symptom for Bryonia. Cough aggravated by entering a warm room. To avoid movement, they prefer to be carried or to simply stay still. They prefer to be left alone.

Drosera 30C A good remedy for violent, spasmodic spells of repetitive, dry, barking coughs. Touching the throat or vocalization (barking) will incite a coughing spell. The cough might be worse when they lie down. They may experience hoarseness.

Eupatorium perfoliatum30C When there are influenza type symptoms with a loose cough and catarrh accompanied with musculoskeletal pain, especially in the bones. Bones too painful to walk, sit, or lie down comfortably with accompanying respiratory symptoms.

Hepar Sulph 30C Bronchial inflammation with thick, yellow pus from productive coughing; chilly animals who get worse from exposure to the cold.

Phosporus 30C Bleeding; coughs are worse in cold air and especially from leaving a warm room and entering the cold – a couching fit will ensue. They may tremble when coughing. They are thirsty for cold water, ravenous and startle easily. Friendly, vocal, lean animals.

Pulsatilla 30C Dry coughing at night and loose in the morning. Heated rooms aggravates and open air relieves. Sweet animals who desire attention, thirstless.

Rumex crispus 30C The slightest touch of the throat will cause coughing. Highly sensitive to cold air; every breath of cold air causes coughing. A dry, persistent cough.

Spongia tosta 30C Croupy, barking coughs – the cough sounds like sawing through a pine board. Eating/drinking warm foods will improve symptoms, cold foods and cold wind will aggravate the cough. Anxious, fearful animals who may startle while sleeping.

professional Guidance and Support

To find a veterinary homeopath to work with directly, please refer to the IAHV guide: Search for a Veterinarian | IAVH or the AVH referral list: Please Read Before Proceeding – The Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy (theavh.org)

To find a holistically minded veterinarian (not necessarily a homeopath), go here: VetFinder – Find a Holistic Veterinarian – AHVMA

Important Note: we do not necessarily recommend any of the veterinarians listed through these websites.

If you are interested in working with the writer of this blog post, Kasie Maxwell Grujcic, directly, you may choose to schedule an appointment any time by going here:

Additional Resources

For current official information regarding the 2023 aCIRD concern, please go here:

• Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease in Oregon | Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (oregonvma.org)
• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
• Canine infectious respiratory disease complex (Kennel cough) | American Veterinary Medical Association (avma.org)
• Worms & Germs Blog | Resources for Animals, Humans & Infectious Disease | University of Guelph (wormsandgermsblog.com)
• Animal Health Alert Network (lacounty.gov)
• K9_Atypical_Pneumonia_Update_V2 (3).pdf

For social media discussion, this is a popular group on Facebook with members sharing information about this concern.

Please understand that we do not necessarily agree with, support, or condone the information provided or posited in the above links.