Common sense will go far in dealing with dog flu
My vet school graduation, which coincided with my son’s first birthday, was memorable for a number of reasons, but one in particular sticks in my mind: when someone knowingly brought their sick child to my son’s day care.
The intestinal virus the child had was mild, but very contagious, and in a short time my celebration turned into a household full of sick people (who all recovered without incident).
What does this have to do with a new influenza virus that is affecting dogs?
Read on.
“We are our brother’s keepers, and this concept applies to pet owners as well,” said Dr. Cyndi Crawford, a veterinarian who also holds another doctorate and is an assistant scientist at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Crawford helped discover the new canine influenza virus. She said that if pet owners are responsible and sensible, we can minimize the spread of this new virus that affects dogs.
Microorganisms are always evolving new ways of exploiting people and animals. Fortunately our defenses, like the immune system, are generally pretty good at rising to the challenge. The influenza viruses are quick-change artists and have the ability to alter themselves. A new canine influenza virus recently has been discovered as a cause of respiratory disease in dogs.
Unfortunately, along with the new virus has come a lot of misinformation. Here are some things to know about the virus:
Newly emerging viruses have the initial advantage because the host immune system hasn’t seen them before, so it is naive and initially can’t fight them effectively.
When canine parvovirus entered this country in the 1970s, it hit a naive population of dogs. Like parvovirus, the canine flu is very contagious, and most dogs are naive and vulnerable to infection.
But parvovirus initially caused a serious disease with a high mortality, while canine influenza is a milder disease with a low mortality usually due to secondary infections. In other words, while both were new and contagious viruses, the canine flu is not the killer virus that some initial reports suggest.
The most common sign of a dog infected with canine influenza is a cough that resembles kennel cough. However, there are several disease organisms, bacterial and viral, that cause kennel cough.
We have vaccines against these other disease organisms, and it is wise to use them because they are by far more common. As with people, the biggest danger of this influenza virus is pneumonia caused by secondary disease agents and usually requires hospitalization for appropriate therapy. Signs to look for also include loss of appetite or if your dog looks depressed and lethargic. If you see these, call your veterinarian.
Dogs with the highest likelihood of infection are those in close contact with several other dogs, such as in boarding facilities, shelters, greyhound racing kennels, doggy day cares and pet stores.
“However, I still advocate adopting dogs from shelters,” Crawford said. “All eight of my dogs are rescues.
“I recommend that you adopt dogs that are healthy appearing at the time of adoption, and new pet parents should be on the lookout for respiratory signs for a week or so after adoption.”
If you need to board or use a day-care facility, ask them about the site’s management techniques: Does it require vaccinations? Does it isolate dogs with respiratory signs, and does it ask people to not bring dogs that are sick or that have been exposed to sick dogs?
Remember the irresponsible parents who brought their sick child to my son’s day care, which led to my entire household becoming ill?
As pet parents, you need to show responsibility and don’t engage in behaviors that could spread contagious diseases to other dogs. The virus is most contagious in the first week, which unfortunately is when we are less likely to pay attention.
Generally it is only after a cough has persisted that we get concerned.
If your dog develops a moist cough, don’t take it out to parks and places where other dogs congregate, and call your veterinarian for an appointment. Be sure to inform the veterinary clinic staff that your dog is coughing so if your dog has a contagious infection, it doesn’t infect other pets in the waiting room. Also, use good, common sense sanitation practices, washing hands and clothing, to prevent inadvertent transmission. Remember, many diseases can cause kennel cough, so exercise caution, not panic, if your dog starts coughing.
“The scope of this problem is not as extensive as the rumor mill has presented it,” said Gail Golan, a veterinarian who also holds another doctorate and is assistant director of communications at the American Veterinary Medical Association. “People should be cognizant of their pet’s health, but this new virus should not prevent them from taking part in activities with their dog. In fact, having pet owners restrict the activities of healthy dogs probably has a greater negative impact on their and their dog’s lifestyle.”
Many people have heard news of an avian influenza virus in Asia, called H5N1, which has health officials concerned about its potential for affecting people and becoming pandemic.
Is the new canine influenza virus similar to this new avian flu? The answer is no.
While they are both influenza viruses, the new dog flu is H3N8, which is a different type, unrelated to H5N1, the Asian bird flu.
“On the flu family tree, the canine flu virus is removed by several tree limbs from the human, swine and avian flu varieties,” Crawford said.
Could people get the flu from their dog?
Not likely.
“This virus is closely related to one that has been in horses for 40 years, and there has been no evidence of transmission to people,” Crawford said.
“Of course, being an influenza virus, you never completely let your guard down, and so health officials will continue to monitor it,” she added.
“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” by Douglas Adams, is emblazoned across the front with the words “Don’t Panic” written in large, friendly letters. The same could be true for our best approach to this new canine virus.