Canine Influenza

Canine influenza is a respiratory disease that can cause coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, loss of energy, and/or loss of appetite.  The signs of infection are similar to those of other respiratory diseases in dogs, but the coughing caused by canine influenza can last for several weeks.  With proper care, most dogs generally recover.  However, canine influenza can lead to more severe or even life-threatening infections, such as pneumonia, and has been fatal in up to 8% of cases.

Because canine influenza is caused by a relaively new virus, dogs have no natural immunity to it.  And since it's highly contagious, visiting places where dogs congregate, such as kennels, doggie daycares, dog parks, or groomers, puts dogs at higher risk for catching this new virus.  Making things more difficult is the fact that dogs can spread the virus before the coughing and other signs of sickness appear.

The best way to protect your dog from canine influenza is through vaccination.  Fortunately, the USDA has issued the first conditional license for a vaccine that aids in the control of the disease caused by canine influenza.  A conditional license is issued to meet a special circumstance such as the emergence of a new virus for which there is no existing vaccine.

Like human flu vaccine, the canine influenza vaccine does not completely prevent infection, but it can dramatically reduce the severity of the disease.  The vaccine also significantly reduces the amount of virus that dogs shed, minimizing spread to other dogs - so it's the ideal way to protect our local canine community as well.

We recommend vaccinating dogs against canine influenza and have vaccine available. Please call us or e-mail us to discuss any questions you might have or to set up an appointment.  To give your dog the most complete protection, the inital vaccination requires two doses of vaccine give 3-4 weeks apart, followed by a single dose given annually.

If you would like to read more about canine influenza, www.doginfluenza.com offers a lot of good information.