Scratchings-and-Sniffings

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Does My Dog Need to Be Vaccinated for Canine Influenza? Posted: 01 Jul 2009 08:23 AM PDT Up until last week you did not have the option to be protected against this relatively new disease. The FDA gave conditional approval to Intervet-Shering Plough for a Canine Influenza vaccine on June 24Th. Many of you may have never heard of this disease. It's only been around for about five years and the virus responsible was only identified in 2005.    You might recall reports of deaths in dogs due to a mysterious respiratory infection. These reports started out in Florida in 2004 and spread up the East Coast the following year. At first it was thought that Bird Flu might be the culprit. Viruses have the ability to mutate slightly and become infective to other species. The Swine Flu scare is a great example. Swine flu spread from pigs to people and caused huge pandemic concerns this spring.   Well, it turns out that this virus came from horses. Equine influenza has been a recognized problem for decades in horses. I used to routinely vaccinate race horses for equine flu back in the day when I was a track vet in Montana. When you think of the proximity of Greyhound and Horse racing tracks in the state of Florida you can imagine how easy it was for this virus to spread in that area.   Like many flu viruses this one spreads by direct contact. Infected dogs sniffing each other can easily spread the virus by exchanging nasal secretions. It can spread by fomite too. I just love the word fomite and I try to use it as often as I can. A fomite is an inanimate object that transfers an infectious agent from one susceptible critter to another. A person moving from kennel to kennel in a boarding facility can carry infected nasal secretions on their clothing and spread the infection.   So, back to the original question, should you rush out and get your dog vaccinated? Probably not in most cases, but in some cases it might be warranted. Canine flu has been reported in 30 states and it is highly contagious. Most dogs, like 80%, have the mild form of the disease, kind of like a mild cold. Overall it has a 5% mortality rate, meaning 5% of the dogs that are infected actually die. When you contrast that with something like distemper that kills most of the puppies that get sick, it's a rather mild virus.   Brachycephalic breeds, like our favorite the Pug, are more at risk due to their special anatomy. They tend to get pneumonia more often due to their short upper respiratory tract anatomy. Pekingese, Bulldogs, all the dogs with short pushed in faces are more at risk.   It could certainly continue to morph into a more serious virus as it continues to mutate. Even now most dogs have no natural immunity to dog flu because it is so new. An infection could spread like wildfire through a susceptible population housed in close proximity. If you frequently board your dog or if you take your dog to shows or obedience and field trials where they come into contact with lots of other dogs they are at greater risk. If you plan to head to the Pug National Dog show you should be concerned.   Your veterinarian should be aware of the magnitude of the risk in your area for your dog. Talk it over with them. They will give you the straight scoop. At least now there is something we can do about it.

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