Canine Influenza H3N8 - The Real “Doggie Flu”
What is Canine Influenza?
H3N8 is a Type A influenza virus that originated in horses more than 40 years ago. In 2004 the virus jumped species from horses to greyhound dogs. The H3N8 virus adapted to form a highly contagious respiratory disease in canines we call CIV. CIV is now considered to be dog specific and has not been shown to jump to other species like humans, birds or swine, however it is currently unknown if an infected dog can pass the virus back to a horse.
What are the Symptoms of “Doggie Flu”?
Virtually 100% percent of unvaccinated dogs will get infected with CIV when exposed. For the first 2-4 days of disease dogs look healthy and show no symptoms, meanwhile the sneaky virus is shedding in respiratory secretions loading the environment with virus. Next, 80% of the dogs will start showing what appear as “kennel cough”, persistent cough, nasal discharge, fever, and sneezing. The cough can linger for 3 weeks or more. While 20% of dogs show no symptoms and remain looking normal as they shed the virus. Finally, 10-20% of dogs that show signs of coughing will progress to developing life threatening pneumonia and permanent lung damage.
Currently, we are seeing Canine Flu severely impacting the Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio areas:
- In San Antonio just one clinic has seen and confirmed 20+ cases with 70+ strongly suspected cases
- It is in 38 states and endemic in Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
What dogs are at risk?
- Boarded dogs, dogs in kennels, breeding facilities, or training facilities
- Dogs that attend doggie day care, go to the dog park, or even just walk around pet food stores
- Dogs that get routinely groomed
Testing your coughing dog?
The only way we know what diseases are currently affecting the pet population is to do testing at the break of disease. We recommend doing a Respiratory PCR panel at the first signs of coughing. This will help your veterinarian know what disease your pet has and how to best treat your pet.
Protect your Dog: Get Vaccinated
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that all dogs who attend high risk activities mentioned above receive the vaccine for Canine Influenza. The vaccine available prevents the severity of disease and reduces shedding.
Schedule an appointment today with one our seasoned veterinarians to determine whether your dog needs the vaccine.
For more information on canine influenza, visit:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/canine/
http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu
http://www.doginfluenza.com
This article was contributed by Dr. Michele Wright, VitalPet-Huebner Oaks Animal Hospital
