With all the swirl about H1N1, you may not have picked up on anything about H3N8.
No this is not another swine flu for humans but a horse flu for dogs. Apparently the equine flu, transmitted to some dogs, has mutated into a canine flu. It's a relatively new virus and your dog is unlikely to have developed any immunity to it.
What does this mean for you and your pet? Don't stress. Neither you nor your family members can get or give H3N8 to your dog. However, your dog can infect other dogs or be infected by them. "This is a highly contagious disease. Almost any dog exposed to the flu virus will get it," says veterinarian Dr. David Bessler, at NYC Veterinary Specialists in Manhattan.
How does your dog contract this flu? Just about any way you can imagine. "In fact, if you touch a dog with it and then touch another dog, you can pass the flu," says Dr. Bessler.
Kennels, daycare, dog runs are hotbeds of transmission. Pet owners with dogs who stay at home most of the time have less reason for concern.
"Vanilla and Cinnabon are very social," says Ada Nieves the owner of two Chihuahuas in Manhattan. "They play with other dogs, they model, they do photo shoots," says Nieves. Contact with other canines made her concerned enough to get the tiny two vaccinated.
What exactly does the H3N8 vaccine do? "It won't necessarily prevent a dog from coming down with the flu, but it will make symptoms less and shorten the "shedding" time,"says Dr. Bessler. "Shedding" means passing the illness from one dog to another. The inoculated dog is directly protected from a more severe form of the flu and other dogs are indirectly protected.
Similar to the flu shot for humans, the canine version is not a one-time vaccination. The dog is given two inoculations two to four weeks apart and then another injection once a year. There are no known side effects and puppies as young as six weeks can receive the vaccine.
In most cases the canine flu manifests itself in ways familiar to humans. Your dog may have a runny nose and runny eyes, a loss of appetite, a persistent cough, even fever. Some of the symptoms are reminiscent of "kennel cough". However, in some cases your dog may show no outward signs but still be infected and capable of passing along the disease to other dogs. Some dogs may develop pneumonia and in a small number of cases the illness can prove fatal.
The canine influenza virus has been documented in at least 30 states and is expected to spread. Talk to your vet about whether you should vaccinate your pet. "I didn't get a flu shot for myself, but I was worried about Vanilla and Cinnabon," laughs Nieves. And that's the doggone truth.
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