Your dog is at risk for flu that can kill

Who talks about the flu in August? Isn’t it a winter virus? Doesn’t it affect dogs that are around a lot of other dogs that are not taken care of? My dog can’t get it because he never goes outside other than getting groomed. My groomer had me show a copy of the rabies vaccine the first time we went.

These are just a few of the responses I hear when talking about the risks of any disease. The reality is every dog and cat that breathes air is susceptible to bacterial or viral infection. Obviously, some are more at risk than others, based on their activity, travel and grooming habits, and whether they have consistent veterinary care and exams at least twice a year.

I am speaking of Influenza (the flu) because recently a dog in Southeast Michigan was diagnosed with a strain of influenza. This is a dog that goes to doggy day care a few times a week and had exposure to hundreds of dogs just in the prior few months. The tragedy is that the day-care facility does not require flu vaccines and admittedly is less than diligent about confirming that dogs are up to date on other vaccines like kennel cough, rabies, and stool checks.

Think about it. Does your groomer confirm your dog’s/cat’s vaccines at every appointment?

There are 2 major strains of influenza virus that we see more commonly — H3N2 and H2N8. H3N2 was the strain we saw some years ago and began recommending vaccination against it if the dog was one in the high risk group. Most recently, at the end of 2017 and spring of 2018, H2N8 was showing up more in tests. The most recent one diagnosed was H3N2. So what is the big deal? First and foremost is the flu can be fatal. It is no joke. The signs and symptoms can vary tremendously based on the age, health and immune status of the patient. Survivability is based on these same factors as well as your veterinarian’s ability to recognize these signs early, test for it, and begin treatment for it. It is highly contagious to other dogs through contact with respiratory fluids, saliva, sputum, etc., and typically by the time it is diagnosed, the dog has had contact with many other dogs — which perpetuates the outbreak. The flu is not the type to cause vomiting and diarrhea. The most obvious signs are fever, lethargy and loss of appetite, and upper respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and eye drainage, which can lead to pneumonia and death.

All dogs that go to public places are potentially at risk. Of course dogs that are boarded, groomed, trained, hunting, going to doggy day care and swimming pools are at highest risk. Just like a cold or flu in people, they do not necessarily have to have direct contact with a carrier. If a dog with the virus was in the pet store sniffing all of the treats on the bottom shelf before your dog comes around the corner and naturally does the same, we now have contamination and transfer. It could be days to a week before clinical signs show up, so all dogs in contact with your dog after that may be infected as well.

It is easy to see how these things get out of control quickly. This is becoming a bigger deal as more and more public places are pet friendly.

So what do we do? We urge you to be safe, not sorry, and vaccinate your dogs. There is a vaccine that protects against both strains. The cost of the vaccine (even if it needs to be boostered 2-4 weeks after the first) is so much cheaper than diagnosing and treating flu. That vaccine could make a difference between life and death for your much loved dog.