Canine Influenza

Just want to give dog owners a heads up about the canine flu that is a hot topic right now in dog publications. I haven't seen too much about it in the local press and because we live in an area with many uneducated pet owners, it's important to be aware. This flu has been around in the equine world for about 40 years and they have a successful vaccination program for horses. It showed up in greyhounds in Florida in 2004 and is now evident in the companion animal population in seven states. It is a highly contagious respiratory illness, but has a realtively low death rate. They are working on a vaccine, but until that becomes available it is important that dog owners use caution when taking their pets out in public. Most of the recommendations I have read prescribed being careful to not expose your dog to congested dog parks, and making sure your veterinarian and kennel owners are informed and taking extra precautions to sterilize the environment. Older dogs and puppies are always more at risk because their immune systems are more easily compromised.

The symptoms are a cough and nasal discharge, which can lead to pneumonia if not treated. Don't count on your vet to be aware of this disease. When the parvo virus became prevalent in the 80's, I had a difficult time convincing my vet that my year old dobie cross was suffering from it. Thankfully, he listened and my dog recieved proper treatment and survived. The rottweiler puppy he hung out with died within a few days and a week later my vet was seeing many more cases. Canine flu mimics other diseases like kennel cough and may be mistaken for that. I don't mean to be an alarmist and the experts aren't telling people to confine their dogs at home. But it helps to be aware.