Mystery disease sickens greyhounds at La Marque track

THEY'RE OFF: A pack of greyhounds is up to speed at Gulf Greyhound Park, where profits have not been keeping pace the past few years. THEY'RE OFF: A pack of greyhounds is up to speed at Gulf Greyhound Park, where profits have not been keeping pace the past few years. Photo: Michael Paulsen Photo: Michael Paulsen Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Mystery disease sickens greyhounds at La Marque track 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

Scores of racing dogs have become ill and six have died as a yet-undiagnosed illness, possibly canine influenza, swept through kennels at La Marque's Gulf Greyhound Park.

Race track general manager Sally Briggs said last weekend's scheduled races were canceled as veterinarians treated the sick animals and tried to keep the disease, which began the last week in March, from spreading.

On Monday, Briggs said, about 80 dogs still were coughing, though none suffered fever. Gulf Greyhound Park generally has up to 700 dogs on site at any given time, she said. The track plans to stage Wednesday and Thursday races; the scheduling of weekend races is in question.

Texas Racing Commission spokeswoman Jean Cook said a necropsy at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine did not provide a diagnosis.

Cook and Briggs could not estimate the total number of animals that became ill.

Briggs said a quarantine site has been established at the race track.

"People can still bring dogs in if they want to, but these aren't going out to other tracks," she said. "This is very contagious." She was unable to estimate the number of animals in quarantine.

Briggs said the disease's symptoms include a "lingering cough" and fever. The sick dogs are under the care of veterinarians and receiving medication, she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that canine flu is caused by a virus that originally afflicted horses, then jumped species. It first was detected in dogs eight years ago. While potentially fatal, 80 percent of the cases are mild.

The virus does not affect people.

allan.turner@chron.com