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Today in “vaccines I didn’t know existed for dogs” (last time it was for Lyme disease): canine influenza. That’s right, you can get a flu shot for your dog. Pet website ZooToo takes a look at it.
Apparently, dog flu is a thing. I have to say I’ve never heard of it, not the way I’ve heard about bird or even pig flus. The difference is that while those strains can pass to humans, canine influenza doesn’t. It’s basically just dogs getting the flu, in a particular strain that won’t infect us. So while we might have to worry about our dogs’ health, we can relax that we’re not staring down the barrel of a threatening-to-us new flu scare.
In 2009 there was a bit of a canine influenza epidemic, but it only infected dogs, and even then only dogs that were often around other dogs. It was reported in about 30 states, mostly on the East Coast. But vets and health care officials aren’t concerned about it.
Like I said, it’s not at risk of spreading to humans. It’s not even that much at risk of spreading to other dogs. The canine influenza vaccine is still classified as a lifestyle vaccine, instead of a compulsory one. That means unlike rabies or distemper, it’s not required by law or even always strongly encouraged by vets.
Think of it more like the Bordetella vaccine: if you’re going to board your dog, many kennels will want it. While the Bordetella is almost standard now for most kennels, the influenza vaccine isn’t quite, though it’s growing. It’s being encouraged more and more in places where dogs congregate, like kennels and dogs shows.
Should you get your dog the influenza vaccine? There are a few things to consider first. Does your dog interact with other dogs that often? Frequent trips to the dog park could count, but if you always see the same dogs there, and they’re always healthy, then maybe not. If you’re uncertain, have a chat with your vet about it.
The other thing to consider is that canine influenza has only rarely been fatal. Most of the time it works on a dog just like it works on a human: the dog feels bad for a while, then makes a full recovery.
If your dog has the flu, symptoms will include lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose and eyes, coughing, and other, well, flu-like symptoms. It’s easy to confuse with kennel cough at first, but it lasts longer than that. The best you can do for your dog if it has the flu is to make it as comfortable as possible. Let it rest, make sure it has plenty of food and water, and get creative to keep it from becoming dehydrated. You can encourage a dog to drink water by feeding it ice cubes, or making its water tasty by adding a little bit of bouillon powder or a drop or two of a condiment like ketchup to it.
If your dog has these symptoms but you’re not sure what illness it has, your vet can diagnose your dog for you. Your vet can also give you advice about whether or not the canine influenza vaccine is a good idea for your dog.
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*(The above image by jfelias is licensed by the morgueFile free license).