No need to rush out to get dog flu vaccine
I live near Fenway Park, and my 4-year-old dog occasionally goes to doggie day care. Just in the past week or so, there has been a lot of buzz about dog flu, and one of the kennels that I sometimes use to board my dog is now requiring a vaccine. I called my vets about it and they don’t even carry the vaccine. They told me that my dog is not really at risk and there is no outbreak as of yet. Do I wait to see if my dog gets sick? Should I find a vet that carries the shot for my dog? How bad is this flu?
My guess is that your dog will not get sick, and therefore I would not rush to have your dog vaccinated. The virus you are referring to is known as canine influenza. There was a single reported case from a major animal hospital in the Boston area recently, and in diagnosing the condition, they were not able to ascertain which of the two prevalent strains it was, H3N8 or H3N2. These viruses have the ability to morph and then affect other species, but not humans.
Due to the news, coupled with the amount of calls my hospital received, I sought the opinion of one of the foremost vaccine specialists in veterinary medicine, and he confirmed that this has rapidly led to a lot of unnecessary hype and hysteria. The majority of dogs develop mild clinical signs with a cough and possibly nasal or ocular discharge. Sometimes there is mild lethargy and loss of appetite, but the good news is that most dogs recover with no issue. If affected, dogs are given supportive care, which may include antibiotics, fluids and agents to reduce fever.
You may need to comply with any facility that requires the vaccine if you want to board your dog there, but know that there are two strains and vaccination means two vaccines given a few weeks apart. There is also one commercially available vaccine that I am aware of that protects against both strains. I believe all vaccines should be utilized based on risk of exposure, and I am not convinced that we have an outbreak in the area necessitating its use.