Animal Ark Veterinary Clinic P.C.

Dog influenza could be a killer. Dogs are not exempt from sickness and viruses. Their lives might also be threatened by contagious sicknesses frequent to their kind. One the most shocking is frequently known to us as dog influenza, dog influenza or in medical terms H3N8 influenza virus.

This infectious illness is alleged to have come from horses and mutated recently to dogs. Though transmittable, dog's that have the flu can't be of harm to their owners or other inhabitants where they live in. This illness shouldn't be treated gently though , and the first signs of the announced sickness are simply detected.

Identifying influenza in dogs

Canine influenza or dog influenza is an illness associated with the respiratory system and is due to a virus. There are 2 sorts of the related infection, the first being a mild version and the second considered severe and is created worse by pneumonia. Dogs infected with the first type are troubled with soft and clammy cough that usually lasts for a period of 10 to thirty days. This type of cough is typically mistaken as a kennel cough, and so a minor cough in your dog is best considered by an animal doctor.

On the other hand, dogs who be afflicted by the dreadful kind of dog influenza have increased difficulty breathing. Moreover, breathing. Moreover, they also have hightemperatures customarily starting from 104 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dog influenza is a fairly new illness and is alleged to affect pretty much all dogs when they come in contact with the recounted pathogen. Regardless of this, it is fortunate that the mild form is more typically seen to have affected dogs instead of the more harsh case of influenza.

Dog influenza : Safeguarding and treating your dogs

The best way to prevent dog influenza from harming your dog is to make sure that it doesn't come in contact with other dogs that have been infected with this illness. Likewise , when you see symptoms similar to this virus bring your dog immediately to your vet.

Like any virus which attacks the immune system, dog influenza is treated by boosting the immune mechanism of your dog. Additionally, the vet will most probably give your dog an anti viral medication to treat the illness. This medicine is said to take effect only in early stages of the viral infection. Thus, it is most crucial that you bring your dog for treatment during the first sign of infection. Dogs experiencing the serious form of the illness have lesser probabilities for survival, though they are still treated with water baths to bring down the fever.

Meanwhile, scientists and animal doctors are still in the process of researching this new variety of dog flu virus that has infected dogs. Dog influenza has been at first spotted during the years 1999 and 2003. The first outbreak reportedly occurred in the greyhound racetracks in Florida, United States. This remains to be a growing concern for a good number of dog owners, and there is alleged to be a growing fear of it spreading. On July 6, 2009 a new vaccine will be released that can mitigate the symptoms of this disease. Check with our Doctors for more information on this new treatment.