Is Your Dog Coughing and Sneezing? It Could Be Canine Influenza
Canine influenza is a new disease, closely related to the equine (horse) flu virus, to which our dogs have no natural immunity. It wasn't until the 2004 outbreak at many greyhound dog tracks that researchers started to isolate and identify the characteristics of the virus.
Canine flu is a highly contagious virus and spreads swiftly in confined areas, such as kennels. It is estimated that about 80% of healthy dogs that come in contact with infected dogs will get canine flu, and puppies and older dogs are more susceptible. Currently, there are no known cases of canine flu being passed on to humans or cats. However, humans who come in contact with an infected dog can pass the flu on to their dog.
Warning Signs of Canine Influenza
Because of its similarities to kennel cough (a bacteria), dog owners should be alerted to the symptoms of dog flu (a virus), which include:
1. Coughing
2. Sneezing
3. Runny nose
4. Fever
5. Poor appetite
6. Lethargy
Unlike the flu, dogs with kennel cough do not have a problem with eating, nor do they have a runny nose and high fever, which can get as high as 106 degrees. Coughing alone, without the other flu symptoms, could be contributed to a variety of other disorders, such as a fungal disease, tonsillitis, heartworms, congestive heart failure or even an obstruction in your dog's throat. There is a vaccine for kennel cough, but currently, there is no vaccine for canine influenza.
Prevention
The best prevention is to first get your dog immunized for kennel cough and keep it away from other pets who shown signs of the flu. For those instances when you have to board your dog, you might want to take a walk through the kennel first to see if there are signs of any unhealthy dogs and voice your concerns to the kennel owner. However, researchers advise that sometimes even healthy-looking dogs with no obvious flu signs may have the flu and could infect another dog. For peace of mind, you might want to board your dog somewhere other than a kennel.
Because canine flu is so new, researchers don't know if there is a flu season. As a responsible dog owner, it is important to know the symptoms of dog flu and immediately consult your veterinarian if you notice any signs. If left untreated, canine influenza can lead to pneumonia, which can be life threatening. But with loving care and medical attention, your dog should recover within a few weeks.
Published by Sharon Lea Hill
I currently work fulltime, but whenever I have a free moment, I work on my ficitional novel, write articles (for AC and others), short stories and poems, and some copyediting and writing for online magazines. View profile
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12 Comments
Post a CommentHi Madison. I'm so sorry your puppy is sick. I'm not a vet, but based on your puppy's symptoms, I would suggest you take her to a vet. It might not be the flu, but it's best to be safe and take her to a vet as soon as possible. Good luck and I hope she gets better real soon.
Well my dog is a puppy black lab shes coughing sneezing and inactive maybe even stressed.What do you think she has and my family is scared for her!!!!please help us!!
It's best to take your dog to the vet to make sure it receives the proper medication. Good luck and thank you for reading my article.
First of all, cool site design :P I think my dog is having this, so I need to take it to the vet right?
Thank you for reading my article, and I apologize for not responding sooner. Thank you for your comment about nasal discharge. I would only hope that if the dog also exhibits other symptoms, an owner would take their pet to the vet just to be sure it isn't something else.
First, let me apologize for not responding sooner, and thank you for reading my article. Not being a vet, I can only tell you what my research indicated. Kennel cough does not entail sneezing or runny nose, nor do those symptoms mean they definitely have the flu. Sometimes, coughing alone, without the other symptoms, can be related to a fungal disease, tonsillitis, heartworms, throat obstruction, or even congestive heart failure. If the medications aren't working, you should take him back to vet. Be sure to explain all the symptoms. I hope everything turns out well. Yorkshires are so adorable.
Thank you for reading my article, and I apologize for not responding sooner. I'm sorry to hear your lab is having problems. Not being a vet, the only thing I can tell you is that my research into kennel cough indicated that dogs do not get runny noses or sneeze when they have kennel cough, so it could be something else, especially if they run a fever and become lethargic and don't eat. I would suggest taking them to your vet to be sure it isn't the flu or something else. I hope everything turns out well. Labs are such wonderful companions.
my dog is a yellow lab 2 years old, and we just adopted her from the humane society.we've had her for seven days now and shes been coughing furiously since we've had her but we just thought it was kennel cough but now her nose is extremely runy and she sneezes for almost 20 minutes straight especially at night and in the mornings. shes still energetic and isnt drowsy or anything. she also just got spayed so we were wondering what you think she may have?
I purchased a yorkshire terrier puppy two weeks ago. Two days after I bought him, he started coughing and sneezing. He did not do it often, so I did nothing for a couple of days, but it continued, so I went to my vet who examined and told me that he had bronchial problems. He gave me antibiotics and chlorpheniramine, one half a tablet twice a day for 6 days. Near the end of this time, my dog's condition did not improve and I returned to the vet and saw another doctor who said that I should continue with the antibiotics and she gave me some more of the antihistamine tablets. Today my puppy had coughed constantly for about 20 minutes. I am now extremely concerned.
His temperature is normal and he is eating well. I have been giving him a little home cooked chicken with his Purina puppy biscuits. Is this causing the problem. He started the constant coughing after I gave him the antihistamine...could this have stuck in his thoat. I am wondering if the antihistamine is wor
Dogs with Kennel Cough can have nasal discharge. It's quite common, actually. Doxycycline helps speed recovery. I am a vet tech & I do dog and cat rescue full time. 8 years experience.