‘It’s not about if, but when the dog flu will come’ says Lowcountry veterinarian

As the number of flu cases in humans in the Lowcountry continue to rise, dog owners can rest easy knowing they don’t have to worry about the dog flu, otherwise known as canine influenza virus (CIV), just yet.

As of January 2018, cases of the dog flu have been reported in 46 of the 50 states, including South Carolina, but none have been reported in Beaufort.

But Marikay Campbell, owner and veterinarian at Port Royal Animal Hospital, says dog owners shouldn’t become complacent.

“The canine influenza doesn’t work like the human flu does. It doesn’t really have a season, it is opportunistic,” Campbell said. “As long as there are dogs that travel, there is a chance that it will come here.”

The dog flu is a relatively new concern for pet owners, one that did not really emerge in the U.S. until 2003 among Greyhounds at a racing track in Florida.

This first strain of the dog flu, known as H3N8, is highly contagious because it is so new.

In Chicago in 2015, a second strain of the canine influenza virus was discovered, H3N2, and it is much more serious and infectious than the first strain.

Dogs that socialize with other dogs at kennels, dog parks or dog shows are at greatest risk of contracting the virus.

Just like the human flu, the dog flu affects dogs differently. The severity is determined by the overall health of the dog and whether the dog has come into contact with any other virus or bacteria around the same time that it caught the influenza.

It can be spread through direct contact, such as licking and sneezing or indirect contact such as sharing a bowl.

People can transmit the virus from one dog to another if they come into contact with an infected dog and do not wash their hands properly afterward.

According to Campbell, the best way to protect your dog against the flu is to get it immunized, with a series of two immunizations given two weeks apart.

Campbell recommends getting the immunization soon, because it takes about a month from the initial immunization for the dog to be protected from the dog flu.

“Once the flu is here, it’s too late,” Campbell said. “The only thing you can do at that point is to keep your pet at home and away from other dogs until the flu shot series has the time to kick in.”

This story was originally published January 28, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "‘It’s not about if, but when the dog flu will come’ says Lowcountry veterinarian."