CANINE FLU -  INFORMATION  

What is  H3N8 or Canine Flu? 
It is a viral illness that began 12-18 months  ago in FL and NY in greyhound racing kennels.  The virus was first  identified in horses
over 40 years ago and has just recently mutated to infect  dogs.
It tends to mimic the less deadly kennel cough  in that symptoms
begin with a hacking cough in a dog.  However, canine flu  progresses rapidly to include these symptoms:
• Loss of energy/appetite
• Progressively increasing temperature - - up to  105 or above
• Mucous discharge from nose (kennel cough has  clear discharge)
• Secondary bacterial  infection
• Pneumonia
• May die from pulmonary hemorrhage
Possible death - fatality rate is 4-8%, with  treatment. Most dogs exhibit symptoms within 24-72 hours  of exposure. 100% of dogs will be susceptible to this new  virus.  20% of dogs who contract it will not show symptoms, yet they will  actively shed the virus and should be considered contagious for 2-3  weeks.

How did it start?
Canine flu mutated from an equine viral  illness. To date, the virus
has not mutated again and is not found in cats or in  people.

How is it spread?
The virus is spread by the mucous  discharge.  It is an airborne
virus, highly contagious, as is canine parvo.  Dog to dog contact
is not required as the virus  may be carried by pet owners and also survives on surfaces.  This means if  you walk in an area con-taminated by a sick animal, you may carry this virus home  to your dogs on the soles of your shoes.  To date, researchers do not know how long the virus can live on surfaces  - - but it is reasonable to think it is up to two weeks.

It is very important to use an anti-viral  spray, sanitary hand wipes
and other precautions if you are in areas with  strange dogs.  You
may wish to change your shoes and clothing after being  in a rescue/ shelter environment and question your boarding kennel about their  preparations, in case a dog should contract the flu.  Isolation from the  general canine population is extremely important for the health and  well-being of all other dogs at the facility. 

Misinformation:
The following information is not scientifically  correct, although it has been published in newspapers and seen on the Internet: Canine flu is spread only through dog-to-dog contact. Canine flu is not a separate viral illness - -  it is just kennel cough. Healthy dogs are immune to canine  flu. If your dog is exposed and doesn't get ill,  that means it isn't contagious. Dogs who are vaccinated against kennel cough  cannot get H3N8 flu.

Treatment:
Immediate isolation.  Sanitation of  anything and everything -
bleach solution is fine. Supportive IV fluids and  antibiotics for secondary bacterial infection may be required for the sick  dog. 
If pneumonia develops, an antiviral medication, such as Tamiflu,
will  be necessary to try and prevent death. Tamiflu has successfully been used in severe  cases and as of October 17th, several cases were reported where Tamiflu was  given to dogs living in the same
household with an infected dog to prevent them  from getting H3N8.
Tamiflu comes  in oral suspension and capsules.  It cannot be
purchased without a written  prescription.  Tamiflu is the drug  of
choice for avian flu and other viral illnesses.  As many nations are
stockpiling this  drug in preparation for bird flu spreading to people,
it may become very hard to  purchase in the future. Tamiflu has
been used by veterinarians for a variety of viral illnesses.  However, it is not approved by the FDA for use  in dogs.

What to do if your dog appears  ill:
You must isolate your dog from all  others.  If your dog is coughing
and acting lethargic, immediately seek  veterinary consultation.
Special tests are available to diagnose H3N8  virus.  When the
dog first becomes ill, a dacron swab may be used for nasal  and
pharyngeal specimen collection.  After a few days, blood serum must be  collected to confirm the diagnosis. Specific methods are required in order to get  an accurate test result.  The information
and protocol is  available for your veterinarian from:
Christopher W. Olsen, DVM PhD
Professor of  Public Health
Department of Pathobiological Sciences
School of Veterinary  Medicine
University of Wisconsin-Madison
(608) 262-5432

Failure to  follow a prescribed protocol has resulted in many false
negative reports; after  proper procedures were used, these dogs
did, in fact, have canine flu.

Preventing the spread:
If you live in a State with reported cases, you  may wish to talk
with your veterinarian about avoiding places where strange dogs 
intermingle: dog parks, doggy day care, walking paths, grooming
salons,  etc.  Some people are checking local veterinary emergency
centers to make  sure they have isolation units and anti-viral
medications available in case of  emergency when their veterinarian's office is closed.

If you must take your dogs into high-risk  areas, be sure and
properly sanitize your shoes, the dog's pads and all equipment with a bleaching solution or anti-viral spray recommended for such  use. 
NOTE:  any product used directly on your dog should be  approved by your veterinarian.  If you have any questions, please consult  with
their office or a local poison control center.

If your dog appears ill, keep it away from ALL  other dogs until you
are certain it does not have canine  flu.

What States/areas have high outbreaks of canine  flu?
Currently reports of outbreaks have been  scientifically confirmed
in the States listed below.  However, all agree it  is probably just a
matter of months until the virus has been seen in the  pet dog
population throughout the United States.
Nevada        
Florida                          
Massachusetts
Oregon                            
New York                
Texas 
Washington                     
New Jersey                   
Arkansas
Arizona                             
Ohio              
Iowa
Colorado                         
North Carolina               
Rhode Island
Kansas
West  Virginia                
Connecticut
Maryland                          
Utah     
California
Georgia         
Washington DC        
Pennsylvania
Unconfirmed, but highly suspected:
Idaho

Please:  If you personally know of  a dog with canine flu, call or
e-mail me, with information regarding how you did  isolation, what
treatments were used and the outcome.  
Shirley Greene 
Meridian, ID
208-887-9643
_jeff6542@aol.com_

Feel free to pass this information  to others, without editing, as
author retains all rights.

Current as of:  10-28-05

 

 

Dog Flu Spreads Worry Nationwide

Sept. 27, 2005 — A newly discovered virus has killed dogs in at least seven states, and veterinarians, kennel operators and pet owners are concerned because researchers say there is no vaccine and dogs do not have immunity to the new flu.

Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine, said in an audio interview posted on the university Web site that the disease is only deadly in rare cases — about 10 percent in puppies and old dogs — but is of concern because it is spreading rapidly.  It is believed that the new virus may have mutated from an equine influenza strain, she said.

Like most flu viruses, it can be spread by air, as well as by contact, and the populations of dogs most at risk are those in shelters, kennels, boarding operations or other situations where a lot of dogs are housed under one roof, she said.  The disease could also spread in parks where pet owners let their dogs off the leash to socialize, vets say. Dog parks are a perfect playground for contagious diseases because when animals share toys and water dishes,
they also are sharing germs.

The symptoms of the disease include coughing and sneezing,
and there is concern that it could be spread in vet waiting rooms, Crawford said.  "When you bring a bunch of dogs together under
one roof, if a dog happens to be infected, then the virus will spread rapidly," she said. She compared the situation to what happens with young children in school.  As yet, there is no test for the flu that vets can administer, she said.

The virus is too new for any dogs to have developed immunity to it, so pet owners should watch their dogs carefully for any symptoms.  "The concern is that the dog population on the North American continent is wholly 100 percent susceptible," Crawford said.  Seattle veterinarian Dr. Kenneth McKim recently treated some dogs with "kennel cough," but said the new virus is different.  "It's a more severe disease (with) high fever," McKim said. "It's got more complications with pneumonia and congestion."

There have been outbreaks of this new dog flu in kennels, race tracks and shelters along the East Coast. But not on the West Coast, yet.   "It's something that we're going to be watching for in the Northwest," McKim said. "There have been no reported cases of it here yet, but I think it's something that veterinarians are going to be on the watch for."

The majority of the deaths have occurred at greyhound tracks in Florida, Massachusetts, Arizona, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas and Iowa, but there have been documented cases in some kennels and shelters. Vets stress that the flu is no reason for pet owners to panic, but they should take some precautions. If you take your dog
to a dog park, bring the dog's own water dish and toys, they say. If you kennel your dogs, or take them to a doggie day care, vets say you should make sure the facility is clean, well-ventilated and requires all dogs to be current on their shots.