All about Dog Flu

Every flu season people rush to their Doctor’s office to be vaccinated for the flu. No one wants to be inflicted by this all powerful virus that can render you useless for nearly a week. Several variations of the flu in humans have reached pandemic stages at various points in history and caused the death and serious illness of many. The dog flu is a relatively new phenomenon believed to have jumped from horses to dogs around 2004. The horse flu has been around for 40 years in the form of the H3N8 influenza virus and is now causing illness in dogs. The virus has adapted to spread efficiently between dogs and is now considered a newly emerging pathogen within the canine population. Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus now referred to as the canine influenza virus.

Canine influenza often presents with symptoms including cough, runny nose and fever. As is the case with the human flu some dogs have the potential to develop a serious illness while others recover with few complications. The fatality rate of canine flu is small and many dogs will be carriers for the infection without ever showing any symptoms. Other dogs with compromised immune systems like puppies or senior dogs may develop severe infections characterized by the development of pneumonia. While the disease is still relatively new it is expected that 80% of dogs will carry a mild form of the disease at some point in their lives.

All dogs are susceptible to canine influenza due to the ease at which it is transmitted. The virus can be spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions from infected dogs, through contact with objects contaminated by respiratory secretions and through human contact with one infected dog directly followed by contact with an uninfected dog. If your dog is coughing or showing other signs of a respiratory illness then you should keep your dogs away from others who might become contaminated. You should also clean, disinfect or wash hands or other items that came into contact with another dog showing signs of the illness before petting your own dog.

There is currently no vaccination for the canine flu; however, there are tests your Veterinarian can perform to determine if your dog is infected with the flu. One test examines respiratory secretions collected at onset of the illness for diagnosis purposes while another test uses blood samples. One sample collected when symptoms are present and the other two to three weeks later. The first method is most helpful in detecting the presence of the virus earlier rather than later as is the case in the second method.

As is the case in human flu cases, treatment is primarily supportive care including medication to ease pain, fluids to re-hydrate the body and plenty of rest. This should help your dog’s immune system to develop a defense to the virus. If your dog has a more serious form of the disease then broad spectrum antibiotics might be required. This is often the case when a secondary bacterial infection has developed as a result of the influenza virus.

At this time there is no medical evidence of the transmission of the canine influenza virus to people. There is also no evidence of the human influenza virus present in canines. While the diseases affect both humans and dogs in similar ways both viruses seem to transmit only through interspecies contact within their respective species. While it is true that flu viruses are constantly changing and adapting, there is currently no cause of concern for human infection of the canine influenza virus.

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