Well my house was hit by the doggie flu or Canine Influenza a few weeks ago. That is why we unfortunately haven’t had many updates on my site. It was rough for my brother Elvis. Mom had to become his full-time nurse for a few days. Plus, my foster brother Baxter and I had to stay away so we wouldn’t get sick either. So since I was not allowed to be around mom I decided I needed to learn about this bug that was making Elvis so sick.
The Dog Flu actually started at a Florida horse track in 2004 that also had greyhound racing. Horses can get the flu and since the dogs were in such close quarters with these sick horses, the mean germ jumped species and the dogs got sick too. Since 2004, it is now reported in over 30 states.
For you science nerds it is actually called (H3 N8). It is a very contagious respiratory infections. The signs are coughing, sneezing, and eye and nose discharge. Depending on your dog the symptons may be mild or severe and develop into pneumonia. Some dogs have even “gasp” passed away due to the doggie flu.
So your probably wondering how does it spread? Another dog has to have direct contact with respiratory secretions. But these can come from saliva drops when we cough or sneeze. We can catch it if we share the same toys or food with a sick dog.
But there is good news (well almost..it is a shot)..there is now a vaccine to help protect us. It is recommended for those who are around other dogs alot such as at a boarding facility, doggie day care, goes to a dog park, etc. It is a two shot series given a few weeks apart. To learn more about the doggie flu please visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu/canine/
From Elvis’s experience the flu was very rough so I recommend everyone become knowledgeable of the signs of doggie flu and at least look into the option of getting us a vaccine.
