Canine influenza has been in the news lately. At the present time this appears to be an adaptation of equine influenza that can infect dogs and spread from one dog to another. It has been seen in Florida, Wisconsin and New York, so the odds are good that it has spread widely in the U.S. at this time or that it will soon. In most dogs it is a mild upper respiratory virus that may be associated with a fever and nasal discharge. In more severely affected dogs there can be high fevers and signs of pneumonia, such as difficulty breathing.  Canine influenza can be fatal. The current estimate is that 1 to 5% of dogs infected with canine influenza virus will die from complications of the infection.

In as situation somewhat similar to cats with upper respiratory viral infections there is a need to use antibiotic therapy when dogs have influenza virus. Even though antibiotics do not kill viruses or even weaken them in most cases, certain viruses are more likely to be accompanied by secondary bacterial infections. This is especially true of infections affecting the upper respiratory system. So if your vet suspects canine influenza it is likely that antibiotics will be administered even though this is a viral infection rather than a bacterial infection.

This infection is a low risk to individual dogs in private households but is a bigger risk where dogs congregate, such as dog shows, shelters and kennels. There is no preventative vaccine at the present time but it is likely that vaccine companies are already hard at work coming up with a vaccine. Treatment is supportive since antiviral medications have not been widely used in dogs and it is not known if they would be helpful or harmful. It is unusual for influenza virus to jump from one species to another and then to be contagious among members of the new species.  This is the scenario that worries human public health officials over bird flu but there is no evidence currently of any risk to people from this new canine influenza outbreak.

Most dogs suspected of having influenza at the present time will turn out to have something else, such as Bordetella infections ( one cause of kennel cough). Despite this it is worthwhile to keep in mind the possibility that this viral infection may be present and to keep your dog home from obedience classes, kennels or other areas that dogs congregate until your dog is completely recovered. This may take several days.

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