What You Need to Know About Canine Influenza

You might have seen it in the news lately. There have been confirmed cases of canine influenza and kennel cough in Tennessee. While kennel cough is something most pet owners are aware of, canine flu is something many of us might be hearing about for the first time.

So, what is canine influenza? According to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, canine flu is a highly contagious viral infection that causes illness in 80% of exposed dogs. Like most viruses, even dogs who do not seem to be symptomatic can spread the virus. They also note that the virus is not known to be a risk to humans, although close contact with any animal infected with an influenza virus is not recommended.

Like the human flu, canine flu is a virus that can spread through direct contact and droplets in the air. Almost all dogs are susceptible to canine flu infection, and virus infection tends to spread among dogs housed in kennels and shelters. If your dog is coughing or showing other signs of respiratory disease, you should not expose them to other dogs or to cats.

Signs to watch out for include cough, runny nose, fever, lethargy, eye discharge, and reduced appetite. Not all dogs will show signs of illness, some will have mild symptoms, and it is possible for some to have a severe illness resulting in pneumonia and sometimes death. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most dogs recover within 2 to 3 weeks.

If your dog is showing any of the above symptoms or acting out of its norm, contact your vet for further instruction. f your dog was to test positive, treatment would consist of supportive care for their symptoms and may include antibiotics, NSAIDs, and fluids, depending on the case. Your animals will also need to be isolated from other animals for at least four weeks — even if their symptoms have improved.

While many vets do not recommend canine influenza as a part of annual vaccines, it might be something to discuss with your vet depending on your dog’s health, age, and social activity. Vaccination may be indicated for dogs that are around other animals outside of the household regularly including at dog parks, being boarded, or groomed. It may also come recommended for dogs who have an underlying disease such as heart or respiratory disease, are elderly or immunocompromised.

While most of the discussion around canine flu is centered around dogs, cats have been known to be infected in shelter settings. Currently, there is no vaccine for cats and, to date, there have been no documented deaths in cats due to canine influenza. Clinical signs of canine influenza in cats are similar to dogs and include upper respiratory signs, lethargy, lip smacking, and salivation.

The CDC states that canine influenza viruses are thought to pose a low threat to people. They report to date, there is no evidence of the spread of canine influenza viruses from dogs to people. There has not been a single reported case of human infection with a canine influenza virus in the U.S. or worldwide. 

For more information about canine influenza, contact your local veterinarian or visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/other/canine-flu/keyfacts.html.