Since we received a reminder from our veterinarian and I have had a client ask me whether I will be requiring the new canine influenza vaccine I thought it was a good time to talk about canine influenza and my thoughts about the vaccine.
According to Wikipedia canine influenza was discovered in 2004. While listening to a program on NPR I discovered it is a form of highly contagious influenza that may have originally been transferred to dogs via feeding Greyhounds in Florida raw horse meat. Because it is a relatively new virus the dog population in our area will have no natural immunity to it and because it is highly contagious I suggest vaccinating your dog.
The symptoms of canine influenza are similar to kennel cough. They include a cough, a greenish nasal discharge, and in severe cases, a high fever or pneumonia caused by a secondary infection. Symptoms can last from ten to thirty days.
