Canine Flu: Is Your Dog At Risk?

Most of us have experienced the flu at one or more times in our lives.  The nausea, fever, aching, lethargy, and overall ickyness of how it makes us feel is enough to make you run out and get your flu shot the next year in hopes of not getting it again.  In people, there are many types of influenza and the vaccine that we can get is a ‘best guess’ vaccine for the type of flu that the CDC predicts will be most common for the coming year.  In dogs though, we have only typically had one type of influenza, H3N8 (all influenzas are classified into one of 18 ‘H’ groups and one of 11 ‘N’ groups).  Thankfully, this canine influenza has not been very common and outbreaks tend to come from very concentrated populations of dogs, such as in kennels or at the pound.  There is a vaccine for this ‘old’ influenza, though it is not used commonly because of the rarity of this disease.  However, a new type of influenza appeared in the Chicago area in March of 2015.  It has been circulating in China and South Korea since 2006 and has had a lot of people talking, speculating, and worrying about what to do.  This ‘new’ influenza has been classified H3N2.

Unfortunately, there is currently no vaccine for this new type of influenza and the vaccine that we have for the other strain appears to have no activity against H3N2.  At Kaibab Animal Hospital, we have received many calls from clients who are worried about this disease affecting very valuable members of their family so let’s look at this disease a little more.

As in people, dogs who get infected with H3N2 influenza can show signs of fever and lethargy but can also develop severe complications such as pneumonia.  In the initial outbreak in Chicago, approximately 1,000 dogs were infected.  With treatment, most survived but approximately 0.5% died as a result of the infection.  Although there is no vaccine available, there is a very reliable test that can be done if we suspect your pet is infected with this influenza.  At present, this strain has not yet been seen in Arizona but cases have been reported in North Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Georgia.  There is no way to predict if and when this disease will make its way to Arizona but as of now, the closest cases appear to be at least a few states away.  If you have recently traveled or are planning to travel to one these area soon, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss any concerns you may have.

Rest assured, Kaibab Animal Hospital is tracking these cases and will keep you informed of any new developments.  At this time there is no need for you to worry too much about this disease.  Most of the infected dogs will recover with proper supportive care but do be vigilant and make sure to schedule an appointment if you are worried that anything may be wrong with your beloved pet.  The key to beating this flu is quick and proper intervention for your furry friend.