Canine Influenza Frequently Asked Questions

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The canine flu virus is a unique and different virus. It is believed to be a mutation of the equine influenza virus that jumped to dogs from horses. It was only identified in 2004.

1. Should I get a "kennel cough" vaccine for my dog?
No vaccine currently exists for this virus. However dogs who are at risk for canine flu are also dogs that are at risk for kennel cough complex. Therefore, we recommend boostering these "at risk" dogs for Bordetella/Parainfluenza every six months. Dogs that have no exposure to other dogs probably do not need the kennel cough vaccine.

2. Is a vaccine being developed for canine flu?
Yes, a vaccine has been in the works for the past few months.

3. Should I board/show my dog?
Your dog certainly has a higher risk of exposure when around other dogs. However, at this time normal pet activities are recommended using a common sense approach to minimize germ transmission.

4. Is this virus hard to kill?
It appears to be sensitive to common disinfectants, such as a 10% bleach solution.

5. What if you have a canine flu dog in the hospital?
Strict isolation protocols will be observed, including housing the patient in a quarantined isolation unit, to protect the other dogs that come to our hospital.

6. My dog is coughing, what should I do?
Call Vetcetera for recommendations. For a mild cough in a healthy dog, you may simply be advised to monitor the dog at home. Because of concern for secondary bronchopneumonia, antibiotics may be prescribed. These dogs can become very ill quickly, so contact us as soon as possible.

7. Will antibiotics treat this flu?
No, this is a viral problem, not bacterial. Like the common cold or human flu, it must run its course. Antibiotics are only used for secondary bacterial infection. We sometimes advocate the use of antiviral agents for these dogs.

8. Can the equine influenza vaccine be given to my dog?
This is not recommended due to potential for serious and adverse reaction.

9. Can I get the canine flu?
The risk to humans is unknown, but not thought to be a concern at this time. According to Dr. Ruben Donis, of the CDC Influenza Branch, "we must keep in mind that this equine influenza virus has been in horses for over 40 years. In all these years, we have never been able to document a single case of human infection with this virus."

10. Is this disease more common in certain breeds of dogs?
Because the dog population has never seen this virus before, they have no natural or vaccine-induced immunity. This means virtually every dog (any age or breed) will be susceptible.

11. If my dog is exposed, will he get sick?
About 80% of the dogs will get sick, to one degree or another. Roughly 20% of the dogs will not develop clinical symptoms but will still be contagious. Unfortunately there is no way to know who these dogs are.

12. If my dog gets canine flu, will he die?
The majority of dogs will develop the mild form of the disease, which they should recover from uneventfully. If your dog gets the severe form of the virus and develops pneumonia, the mortality rate is estimated between one to 10 percent.

13. How soon after exposure to a coughing dog would my dog get sick?
The incubation period is 2-5 days.

14. How often does a virus cross species?
According to Dr. Ruben Donis, of the CDC Influenza Branch, this is a "very rare event of considerable scientific interest".

15. How do you know if my dog has kennel cough or flu?
Some of the symptoms may be slightly different. Further, there is a blood test through the Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostics Center for canine flu. But the real answer to the question is that it doesn't matter. Both are highly contagious. Both are treated in a similar fashion.

16. I read on the internet about 10,000 show dogs dying from canine flu. Is this true?
This is rumor until proven otherwise. This is a disease where many dogs will get sick, but the majority will recover.