By now, most everyone knows that over 1,000 dogs in the Chicago area in April of this year were infected by canine influenza virus (CIV) and that it has spread to other states. According to the Veterinary Public Health Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, however, no cases of CIV H3N2 have been reported in Southern California.
The illness is caused by a strain of the influenza virus called CIV H3N2 that was previously found only in China and Korea. Until now, the only strain of this virus was H3N8. There is no evidence that the current vaccine for strain H3N8 will protect your dog against this new strain. Your dog should still be vaccinated for the H3N8 strain, which is included in your routine yearly vaccines already.
Symptoms to watch for include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, lethargy and loss of appetite. If your dog has any of these symptoms, an exam is indicated, and he or she must be isolated from other pets. And because these signs can also be associated with many other diseases, diagnostic testing is definitely indicated. Most dogs recover within two to three weeks, although severe and fatal cases of pneumonia are possible. These tend to affect in older pets or those already ill or immunocompromised.
Good hygiene goes a long way to prevent this. Any clothing or utensils that have been contaminated by a dog with these symptoms should be well cleaned, and hands should be thoroughly washed.
Minimizing contact with other dogs at places like dog parks will also help minimize exposure. And as is the case with all pets, staying current on routine vaccines, making sure there are no external parasites (fleas) or internal parasites (worms), and providing good nutrition and plenty of TLC will go a long way to making your dog immune to this new virus if it gets exposed.