Canine influenza viruses continue to spread
By Kim Campbell Thornton
Andrews McMeel Syndication
The city of San Francisco and the province of Ontario, Canada, are the two latest areas where canine flu is making an appearance. The virulent respiratory disease has hopscotched the continent, with only four states remaining free of it: Alaska, Hawaii, Nebraska and North Dakota. Where it lands depends in large part on how social and mobile dogs are in particular areas.
“Dogs that travel are at risk, and dogs exposed to dogs who travel are at risk,” says veterinarian Cynda Crawford, a canine flu expert at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine. Other dogs who are vulnerable are service dogs, police dogs, show or competition dogs, shelter dogs and dogs who visit dog parks, groomers or boarding kennels on a regular basis.
The two strains of canine influenza, H3N2 and H3N8, can infect dogs at any time of year, not just winter. Although she hasn’t seen many cases of the flu in her own practice, internal medicine specialist Lawren Durocher-Babek, medical director at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital in Hillsborough, New Jersey, says the flu seems to be worse in midwinter as well as late summer and into fall.
“However, it can be seen at any time of year, so it should always be on our radar,” she says.
If you’ve seen in the news that humans are being hit hard by the H3N2 flu virus and then you see that dogs also get H3N2, you may be concerned that you could catch the flu from your dog. Fortunately, that’s not possible, says virologist Edward Dubovi, a professor in the department of population medicine and diagnostic sciences at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York.
Think of influenza viruses as automobile types, he says. A brand of sedans, pickup trucks and convertibles may all be made by the same manufacturer, but they all have different profiles and accessories. Flu viruses are the same way: There are H3N2 human viruses, H3N2 pig viruses, H3N2 dog viruses and H3N2 avian viruses.
Dogs do not transmit canine influenza to humans, but in at least one instance, cats in an Indiana shelter acquired H3N2 canine flu from dogs. Cats can also transmit influenza to each other. And although it is rare, your dog or cat may pick up human influenza virus from you.
“Pet owners sick with the flu should take care to avoid possible transmission to their pets,” says Dr. Christiane V. Loehr, a veterinary pathologist and associate professor at Oregon State University Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine.
Suspect that your dog has the flu because he’s coughing, sneezing and feverish? Don’t just walk him into your veterinarian’s lobby, where he could spread the infection to other pets. Alert your veterinarian beforehand so your pet can be examined in the car or taken to an isolation area through another door.
Dogs diagnosed with canine flu should be isolated from other pets for longer than you might think: at least 21 days, and perhaps even a month. Wash your hands thoroughly after caring for a dog with the flu before interacting with other animals. Disinfect dishes and bedding separately, too.
If your dog is one of those at risk -- a social butterfly or a road warrior -- or has physical characteristics such as a flat face or narrow nostrils that could make it difficult for him to breathe in the event of a respiratory ailment, consider getting him vaccinated for canine flu. Because it hasn’t been around for very long in the grand scheme of things, not many dogs have been exposed to it, so they lack natural immunity.
“The vaccine may not stop a dog from getting the flu, but it has been shown to decrease severity of signs and shedding (of the virus),” Dr. Durocher-Babek says.
Q&A
Why does cat
shred belly fur?
Q: My 11-year-old male cat keeps licking all the fur off his belly. I’ve tried Apoquel and Cerenia, my vet did an abdominal ultrasound and the cat is now on dexamethasone, but nothing helps. Any ideas? -- via email
A: “Fur mowing,” as this behavior is sometimes called, is usually caused by an underlying health condition such as hyperthyroidism, allergies (or some other itchy skin disease) or parasites. But sometimes it is behavioral in nature. You don’t say what type of cat you have, but Siamese and related breeds are most commonly affected by compulsive disorders that manifest through excessive licking and hair loss.
This condition, known as psychogenic alopecia -- or more simply, overgrooming -- can be a kind of compulsive disorder. The licking behavior may cause the brain to release natural painkillers called endorphins that relieve the cat’s anxiety.
If your vet has ruled out all possible medical conditions, including neurological diseases that may cause pain, discomfort or changes in sensation, you may want to seek the advice of a veterinary behaviorist who can help you discover what’s causing your cat’s stress or anxiety. Often, it’s the addition of a new family member -- a baby in the home, for instance -- or conflicts with other pets.
Depending on the cause, a behaviorist may suggest reintroducing pets in the household to each other and building more positive associations between them, providing a more consistent routine (or going back to the cat’s previous routine if that is what has changed), or making the cat’s environment more interesting with food puzzles, a window perch or tall climbing post with a view, or more playtime or attention. Some cats may benefit from anti-anxiety medication combined with behavior and environmental modification if the veterinary behaviorist determines that the cat’s behavior is related to fear, anxiety or stress. -- Dr. Marty Becker and Mikkel Becker
Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.
THE BUZZ
Go ahead:
Clean your floor
-- You may have seen a post on Facebook or other social media sites recently suggesting that Swiffer WetJet Cleaning Solution can cause liver failure in pets. Not so, according to veterinarian Beth Malinich, who practices at Animal Hospital of Fairview Park in Cleveland. In an interview with News 5 Cleveland, Dr. Malinich said that a pet walking across a wet floor was unlikely to be exposed to enough toxin of anything to become ill from it, especially once the substance has dried. The rumor has been going around for a while. It was debunked in 2004 by hoax-busting website Snopes.com. Veterinary toxicologists at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also issued a statement saying that the substances in question -- propylene glycol n-propyl ether and propylene glycol n-butyl ether -- are safe ingredients at levels used in cleaning products and do not cause kidney or liver failure.
-- If your pet needs surgery and the cost is beyond your means, check to see if there’s a veterinary school in the area with a program to help pets in need. At the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, a community surgery service program allows senior-year veterinary students to perform spay/neuter surgery, removal of small masses, bladder stone removal and other procedures -- under supervision -- at a discount. Pets helped by the UC Davis program include shelter animals and owned animals.
-- Did you know that cats have built-in sunglasses? Instead of having round pupils like humans, a cat’s eyes reduce the pupils to vertical slits. This gives cats precise control over the amount of light that reaches their eyes, enabling them to zoom in on prey. And because a cat’s eyelids close at right angles to the vertical pupil, cats can reduce the amount of light even further by bringing their eyelids closer together. -- Dr. Marty Becker, Kim Campbell Thornton and Mikkel Becker
ABOUT PET CONNECTION
Pet Connection is produced by a team of pet-care experts headed by "The Dr. Oz Show" veterinarian Dr. Marty Becker and award-winning journalist Kim Campbell Thornton. They are affiliated with Vetstreet.com and are the authors of many best-selling pet-care books. Joining them is dog trainer and behavior consultant Mikkel Becker. Dr. Becker can be found at Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker or on Twitter at DrMartyBecker. Kim Campbell Thornton is at Facebook.com/KimCampbellThornton and on Twitter at kkcthornton. Mikkel Becker is at Facebook.com/MikkelBecker and on Twitter at MikkelBecker.