July was a tough month for Tricia Cady, owner of Cady's Kennels on Turnpike Road.
The Associated Press
Margaret Ragi holds Curry, a 5-year-old bichon frise, at her home in Upper Saddle River, N.J., after Curry recovered from the canine influenza virus which has proved fatal for many dogs around the United States.
Margaret Ragi holds Curry, a 5-year-old bichon frise, at her home in Upper Saddle River, N.J., after Curry recovered from the canine influenza virus which has proved fatal for many dogs around the United States.
She noticed two dogs in her care were coughing, but she says at the time she didn't think anything of it. Two days later, every dog in her kennel was coughing.
During one of the busiest times of the year, 20 of the 22 dogs that happened to be staying in the kennel came down with something akin to canine influenza. The dogs were coughing and some had fevers. When they went home, Cady instructed their owners to take them straight to the veterinarian. She didn't want to run the risk that the malady might be dog flu.
“I wasn't sure if it was the flu, but I didn't think twice. We decided not to take anymore dogs in,” Cady said.
Lots of dog lovers are worried these days. Experts say the flu is spreading steadily through the dog population, unchecked by antibodies or a vaccine. Currently there is no vaccine for canine flu and dogs have not built up the necessary antibodies to defend against it so every dog exposed will get it, says Moravia veterinarian Dr. Kerry Petrone. Perhaps 5 percent of its victims are dying.
Those who had already booked their dogs at Cady's were referred to other area kennels and after the sick dogs left, Cady disinfected her entire facility.
None of the 20 dogs from Cady's kennel were confirmed to have canine flu.
Researchers recently found that the dog flu virus surprisingly crossed over from horses to dogs, striking racing greyhounds at tracks in 11 states. Now the influenza has been found in pets around the country, with cases documented in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.
“One-hundred percent of dogs will be susceptible,” said Edward Dubovi, director of the animal virology lab at Cornell University. “I would expect to see this infection moving through groups of dogs until a large percentage gets infected and there are a lot of immune dogs.”
Cady has been in contact with Dubovi about how best to handle an outbreak of canine flu. While all the stricken dogs from her kennel made a full recovery, she's not taking any chances.
She recently boarded two golden retrievers that began coughing and since testing takes too long, Cady, a former veterinary technician, put the dogs on antibiotics.
The symptoms of dog flu include coughing, low-grade fever and nasal discharge, says Petrone. Elderly dogs, infirm puppies or dogs with autoimmune disorders are most susceptible to the virus.
Because the symptoms are similar to those of “kennel cough,” or bordetella, it can make a diagnosis a little more difficult. Kennel cough however is a less serious bacterial infection that dogs can be vaccinated for.
Petrone has not heard of any confirmed cases of canine influenza in the county. She says symptom's of dog flu are a dog that is lethargic, unwilling to eat or drink and that may have a fever. Owners may check their pets with a rectal thermometer and if the reading is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, the dog should be seen by a vet.
Dog flu is airborne, and dogs that have visited a kennel, a vet's office, a dog day care center, an obedience class or some other gathering places with other dogs, may be susceptible to it. That doesn't mean you have to leave your dog at home, especially since there are no confirmed cases in the area.
With all the concern growing around avian flu jumping from birds to humans, Petrone is quick to point out that there is no contagious factor from dogs to humans.
Dubovi said researchers are at work on a vaccine “and the question is how fast we can get it out there and how effective it is. It might be two months, six months, eight months.”
In the short term, some vets feel there's a possibility of another upswing in cases at Thanksgiving and Christmas; as in the late summer, many people go away - and leave their dogs in kennels.
Sick puppies
Canine influenza virus, also known as dog flu, is spreading steadily among the nation's dogs.
How it started: The virus jumped from horses to dogs, striking greyhounds at racetracks in 11 states. It then started showing up in pets around the country.
Treatment: There is no vaccine available. Perhaps 5 percent of victims are dying. Symptoms include cough, low-grade fever and a runny nose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net
During one of the busiest times of the year, 20 of the 22 dogs that happened to be staying in the kennel came down with something akin to canine influenza. The dogs were coughing and some had fevers. When they went home, Cady instructed their owners to take them straight to the veterinarian. She didn't want to run the risk that the malady might be dog flu.
“I wasn't sure if it was the flu, but I didn't think twice. We decided not to take anymore dogs in,” Cady said.
Lots of dog lovers are worried these days. Experts say the flu is spreading steadily through the dog population, unchecked by antibodies or a vaccine. Currently there is no vaccine for canine flu and dogs have not built up the necessary antibodies to defend against it so every dog exposed will get it, says Moravia veterinarian Dr. Kerry Petrone. Perhaps 5 percent of its victims are dying.
Those who had already booked their dogs at Cady's were referred to other area kennels and after the sick dogs left, Cady disinfected her entire facility.
None of the 20 dogs from Cady's kennel were confirmed to have canine flu.
Researchers recently found that the dog flu virus surprisingly crossed over from horses to dogs, striking racing greyhounds at tracks in 11 states. Now the influenza has been found in pets around the country, with cases documented in California, Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia.
“One-hundred percent of dogs will be susceptible,” said Edward Dubovi, director of the animal virology lab at Cornell University. “I would expect to see this infection moving through groups of dogs until a large percentage gets infected and there are a lot of immune dogs.”
Cady has been in contact with Dubovi about how best to handle an outbreak of canine flu. While all the stricken dogs from her kennel made a full recovery, she's not taking any chances.
She recently boarded two golden retrievers that began coughing and since testing takes too long, Cady, a former veterinary technician, put the dogs on antibiotics.
The symptoms of dog flu include coughing, low-grade fever and nasal discharge, says Petrone. Elderly dogs, infirm puppies or dogs with autoimmune disorders are most susceptible to the virus.
Because the symptoms are similar to those of “kennel cough,” or bordetella, it can make a diagnosis a little more difficult. Kennel cough however is a less serious bacterial infection that dogs can be vaccinated for.
Petrone has not heard of any confirmed cases of canine influenza in the county. She says symptom's of dog flu are a dog that is lethargic, unwilling to eat or drink and that may have a fever. Owners may check their pets with a rectal thermometer and if the reading is more than 102 degrees Fahrenheit, the dog should be seen by a vet.
Dog flu is airborne, and dogs that have visited a kennel, a vet's office, a dog day care center, an obedience class or some other gathering places with other dogs, may be susceptible to it. That doesn't mean you have to leave your dog at home, especially since there are no confirmed cases in the area.
With all the concern growing around avian flu jumping from birds to humans, Petrone is quick to point out that there is no contagious factor from dogs to humans.
Dubovi said researchers are at work on a vaccine “and the question is how fast we can get it out there and how effective it is. It might be two months, six months, eight months.”
In the short term, some vets feel there's a possibility of another upswing in cases at Thanksgiving and Christmas; as in the late summer, many people go away - and leave their dogs in kennels.
Sick puppies
Canine influenza virus, also known as dog flu, is spreading steadily among the nation's dogs.
How it started: The virus jumped from horses to dogs, striking greyhounds at racetracks in 11 states. It then started showing up in pets around the country.
Treatment: There is no vaccine available. Perhaps 5 percent of victims are dying. Symptoms include cough, low-grade fever and a runny nose.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff writer Lauren Ober can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or lauren.ober@lee.net
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