After a kennel closed in Virginia due to a dog flu outbreak, panicked headlines screamed, "Protect Your Dogs from Deadly Canine Flu."
Despite a smattering of recent cases, vets have assured us you can hold off from forcing your dog to clean their paws with hand sanitizer, wear a surgical mask, or even get the much talked about canine flu vaccine.
The dog flu strain, dubbed H3N8, has floated around the horse population for decades but jumped to dogs in 2004. So far there have been relatively few cases around the country. Dr. Jean Dodds, a veterinary vaccine researcher and founder of pet blood bank and diagnostic lab Hemeopet, told Paw Nation that there were big scares a few years ago, but the cases -- mainly in kennels and shelters -- petered out.
The symptoms of dog flu -- cough, runny nose, fever -- are exactly like kennel cough, so if you suspect your dog is sick, you'll need a lab test to determine the culprit. The new H3N8 vaccine, which was approved in late June, is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms, but it's not a magic bullet that can prevent your dog from getting the virus or spreading it.
The symptoms of dog flu -- cough, runny nose, fever -- are exactly like kennel cough, so if you suspect your dog is sick, you'll need a lab test to determine the culprit. The new H3N8 vaccine, which was approved in late June, is effective in reducing the severity of symptoms, but it's not a magic bullet that can prevent your dog from getting the virus or spreading it.
Dr. Dodds recommends that only dogs going to boarding kennels or shelters get vaccinated for H3N8. Even those who visit dog runs aren't at high risk. "[The vaccine] is not intended for general use, but for situations where crowding promotes nose-to-nose spread of this highly contagious virus -- e.g. pounds and shelters, heavy traffic boarding facilities," Dr. Dodds told Paw Nation.
"It's getting a lot of press now that H3N8 vaccine manufacturers have a product on the market," Dr. Michael Watts, owner of Clevenger's Corner Veterinary Care in Amissville, Va., told Paw Nation. "I don't think there's any higher risk this year than last year." Dr. Watts has given the vaccine to just a handful of patients who participate in dog shows or agility contests. "Right now I don't see a real high risk and I don't have a handle on what risks the vaccine has right now."
A study of 700 dogs showed no adverse side effects, Dr. Watts said, but owners might worry that their dog might be the first of their breed to try it. Unfortunately, dogs most at risk of dying from dog flu -- the very old, very young and the frail -- are also those most at risk of getting sick from the vaccine, he said. Some vets worry that dogs with pushed in noses, such as pugs and bulldogs, could fare worse because it's harder for them to breathe.
A study of 700 dogs showed no adverse side effects, Dr. Watts said, but owners might worry that their dog might be the first of their breed to try it. Unfortunately, dogs most at risk of dying from dog flu -- the very old, very young and the frail -- are also those most at risk of getting sick from the vaccine, he said. Some vets worry that dogs with pushed in noses, such as pugs and bulldogs, could fare worse because it's harder for them to breathe.
So far H3N8 has been spotted in 30 states, Dr. Watts said. The Northeast (Philadelphia to New York City), Colorado and Florida have all seen local outbreaks. But the disease hasn't caught on as an epidemic. "All previous outbreaks have sort of fizzled out," Dr. Watts told Paw Nation. "This localized outbreak will probably fizzle out, too."
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