Veterinarians warning pet owners of Dog Flu Outbreak, urge for vaccinations

A dog flu outbreak has some Central Coast Veterinarians urging pet owners to get their dogs vaccinated.

Two types of strains of the Canine Influenza (Dog Flu) have been detected in this area. The H3N8 and H3N2. These strains are new to the area making almost all dogs susceptible because they have never been exposed. Neither strain has been shown to infect humans, but in some cases it can spread to other pets. Officials say the virus is extremely contagious between dogs.

Some symptoms or signs of the Dog Flu are coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite, ocular or nose discharge, fever or signs of lethargy. If your pup has been exposed, officials say the symptoms will likely develop within 4 days.

To help prevent your dog catching the virus, Scotts Valley Veterinary Clinic Doctor Emily Miller says get your furry friend vaccinated. “The most important thing if you do get vaccinated for this condition is you want to get the bivalent vaccine so it protects against both of the virus strains, the H3N8 and the H3N2 and the vaccine is available at most veterinary offices especially now locally in the area and they do need to have the vaccine booster, so there is the initial vaccine and another vaccine in two to three weeks,” says D.V.M. Miller.

Dog Flu vaccines, unlike human vaccines are made for the specific type of flu that officials detect rather than a prediction. “The vaccine is very safe and unlike the human vaccine the vaccine was created as a direct vaccine for the viral strains that we saw. So the dogs got sick, the company DNA sequenced the vaccine to match the virus we’re seeing this year.”

If your dog does have symptoms D.V.M. Miller recommends taking them to a vet to get checked out, “a lot of the treatment we have for them is very symptomatic and the biggest most frustrating thing that owners will notice is the cough or symptoms can last anywhere from 14 to 60 days. So having your dog at home coughing for 60 days would be really hard on you and really hard on your pet. So the things we have to make your dog feel better are antibiotics and cough supressents.”

Officials say if your dog is coughing or possibly has or had the flu there are some steps you should take:

Keep your dog home and avoid activities or interaction with other dogs for at least 4 weeks Keep your dog isolated from other pets in the home including cats, guinea pigs and ferrets If your pet continues to cough for more than 1 week, contact your vet Be sure to frequently wash toys, food/water dishes and bedding with soap and water

D.V.M. Miller says 8-10% of Canine Influenza cases dogs can develop pneumonia and dehydration which can result in hospitalization.