PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A highly contagious canine influenza strain is spreading throughout the U.S., and it could potentially be more dangerous this year. Veterinarians are urging dog owners to get their pets vaccinated, especially if they are around other dogs.
Most dogs who get the flu have mild symptoms and recover on their own.
“A cough, a runny nose, some eye discharge, things like that,” said Philadelphia-based IndeVets Chief Growth Officer Dr. Andrew Heller.
“About 75% or more will have a fever, a reduced appetite. You’ll probably notice your dog act a little mopey. We call it lethargy. That’s usually the extent of it.”
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But he adds that up to 20% could get pneumonia from the flu, with it being fatal for up to 5% of dogs.
Dr. Heller said if your dog is around other dogs at parks, day care, groomers or in a boarding facility, you should get the pet a vaccine.
“The first time you give it, you have to booster it and the immunities are not good until a week after the booster shot. If you were planning to go away this winter for the holiday break, you’ve really got to get going now,” Dr. Heller said.
“We are now more indoors at this time and since it’s an airborne disease, it’s respiratory. It spreads fairly quickly indoors.“
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He says a dog who gets the flu can be infectious for up to a month. That could be especially dangerous inside a boarding facility, but not if all the animals are vaccinated
“The idea with animals and boarding facilities is what we call herd Immunity,” said McDevitt. “It’s much less likely to cause an outbreak. If the animal picks up the virus, generally speaking, the signs and symptoms are less severe and that’s what we are really hoping for. Less severe signs, less severe symptoms, and less spread.”
Dr. Heller also suggested ways to limit the possible exposure to the flu virus.
“The virus can be transmitted through clothing, leashes. We call those fomites, things that the virus kind of just sticks to and can travel around,” Dr. Heller said. “So the good thing is that you can wipe everything down with a diluted bleach solution and the flu is easily killed.”