Pet Care With Dr. Sandi Sawchuk: Canine Influenza

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Heard On The Larry Meiller Show
Canine Influenza is in Wisconsin and is cause for concern. Larry Meiller finds out how to protect your dog.

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  • Canine Influenza Reaches Wisconsin

    News of canine influenza reaching Wisconsin has many dog owners concerned about how to protect their pets and what signs to watch for.

    Dr. Sandi Sawchuk is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, where one dog has been quarantined with the virus.

    Canine influenza virus or CIV was first recognized in 2004, among racing greyhounds. Sawchuk said the theory is that a strain of horse influenza “jumped species” and infected the dogs.

    That initial strain was called H3N8, and Sawchuk said that while it would appear in locations around the country from time to time, it never made it to Wisconsin.

    A vaccine for the H3N8 strain was developed in 2009. But Sawchuk said that since the virus had not made an appearance here, the vaccine hasn’t been part of the usual regimen of canine shots in Wisconsin.

    In late March, however, there was an outbreak of the virus in northern Illinois, and it has since spread to several Midwestern states, including Wisconsin.

    “Dogs were presenting with symptoms of CIV, so we made the assumption that it was the H3N8 strain. But, with further testing at our Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, in conjunction with Cornell University’s lab, we found out that it is a brand new virus to this country, H3N2,” Sawchuk said.

    Sawchuk said CIV, including this new strain, presents in similar ways to the human flu. Infected dogs will have a runny nose, fever, coughing and will be lethargic.

    “Think about the last time you may have had the flu and put that into a dog’s body. That’s how they feel,” Sawchuk said.

    Sawchuk said that while the nasal discharge may start out clear, it will often become yellow or green as a secondary infection develops.

    Also as in humans, most cases will resolve themselves after a period of time, but a small percentage will progress and be much more dangerous to the infected pet. She said that some dogs can develop pneumonia as a result, and there have been some reported deaths due to the virus.

    One cause for concern with the H3N2 strain, Sawchuk said, is that unlike the previously known strain, this virus can also affect cats. That means that households with both should take precautions to limit the risk of spreading it from one pet to another.

    Sawchuk said there are simple steps pet owners can take to reduce risks.

    “I say that if you show this virus a bar of soap, it will roll over and die. So washing your hands well, instead of relying on hand sanitizer, is the best choice,” Sawchuk said.

    Sawchuk added that there is no evidence that either the H3N8 or H3N2 strains can infect humans.

    “Our big concern is that this is a new virus. We have this vaccine that’s available for H3N8, but we really don’t know if it’s going to be protective. It may help, but it’s probably not going to be as effective as it is against the original virus,” Sawchuk said.

    While this new strain is getting a lot of attention, Sawchuk said that H3N8 is still around, so the vaccination is a good idea for sure protection against the older strain and possible protection against the newer one.

    “It’s not going to hurt them, and it may help,” Sawchuk said.

    The vaccine is given in two doses two weeks apart. Sawchuk said that immunity should be at its full effectiveness approximately one week after the second dose is administered.

    With one identified case in Wisconsin to date, Sawchuk said that dog owners should take a look at their dog’s “lifestyle.”

    “We’re recommending cutting down on nose-to-nose contact and on dogs being in close, confined areas with other dogs. So consider skipping the dog park, or if you do go, have your dog on a leash so you can keep them away from other dogs,” Sawchuk said.

    For updates on the CIV outbreak, Sawchuk recommended these resources:

Episode Credits

  • Larry Meiller Host
  • Judith Siers-Poisson Producer
  • Dr Sandra Sawchuk Guest

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