Veterinarians watch for dog flu
A flu virus continues to rapidly spread in dogs, causing pet owners to wrestle with the question of whether to allow their furry friends to socialize in the parks or to confine them to solitude in the back yard. This virus takes no exception to breed or age and spreads through nasal discharge. While almost 100 percent of canines that come in contact with the virus become infected, only 80 percent have clinical signs. It takes about two to five days after exposure for these clinical signs to appear, and those that do not show any symptoms typically become “silent shedders and spreaders” according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.
Most of the animals infected will undergo the milder syndrome. The virus may be shed seven to 10 days from when the animals began to exhibit clinical signs.
However, a more server pneumonia syndrome occurs in some animals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the mortality rate at 5-8 percent at a news conference on Sept. 26.
Dr. William Sheperd, VMD at Camelot Veterinary Services in Uniontown, commented that the virus tends to affect the younger or older animals the most. Some symptoms include fever, less energy, loss of appetite, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea.
“If they have vomiting and are not eating, they need to come in because they can become dehydrated very easily,” Sheperd said.
The first incident occurred at a greyhound race track in Florida last January. While the virus had infected a large number of dogs, only a small amount had clinical signs said Dr. Cynda Crawford from the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine at the CDC news conference.
The CDC speculates that because this virus is commonly found in horses, it may have mutated and crossed the species border. However, they emphasized that this virus has not been detected in humans.
Unlike many other viruses, this one has the ability to cross the species border. This genetic shift allows the virus to be adaptable, making it difficult for its host to create an immunity defense against it, according to Sheperd.
“We do have a vaccine for (horses), but we don’t have one for dogs…” said Sheperd. “I’m sure they’re investigating it rather rapidly to see if it’s the same as the horse virus.”
Other cases of this virus have been documented in other states. Sheperd noted that to his knowledge, no cases have been reported within Pennsylvania’s borders. In the 20-30 thousand animals, he sees each year, he has not encountered this virus.
Given the recent hurricanes, which have thrashed the South, Sheperd remains leery of the animals rescued and moved to other states. Because no vaccine is available for dogs, one way the government has tried to control this disease includes quarantining infected animals, according to Sheperd.
To prevent pets from coming in contact with this disease, Sheperd recommends that owners wash their hands after coming in contact other canines.
“We constantly wash our hands after every animal,” said Sheperd. “We disinfect our rooms and tables… At the end of the day, we’ve cleaned the rooms probably 20-30 times.”
Furthermore, pet owners can keep their furry friends safe by avoiding exposure to a number of other animals or unfamiliar animals. “I’m not telling you to keep them locked up,” Sheperd said. “I’m just saying to avoid mass contact.”