How to Effectively Deal With Canine Influenza
People are fascinated by the idea of keeping a pet in their home and when it comes to choosing pet dogs are the most preferred ones over other animals. Due to their jovial nature, people prefer bringing home a dog and spending some quality time with him.
However, being a pet parent is not at all an easy task because you are responsible for the comfort and well-being of your pet. Most pet owners find it really difficult to handle their pet dogs if they are not well trained. However, apart from training which is obviously very important, looking after the health of your dog is also crucial.
Dogs like humans also encounter health issues ranging from minor ones to major health scares. A common health issue faced by most dogs is canine influenza which is also popularly known as dog flu. Most dog influenza cases are not serious, however, being a pet parent you need to be prepared to handle one when your dog gets affected.
If you are a new pet parent then you might find it very difficult to handle your four-legged friend’s flu when you don’t poses any adequate knowledge about the health issue. Here in this article, we will discuss in detail canine influenza to help you out.
What is Canine Influenza?
First of all, you must know what exactly canine influenza is and then only you will be able to deal with the problem. Like in humans, dog flu is a virus that affects the respiratory tract of your pet and is caused due to the influenza virus. There are two strains of canine influenza affecting dogs and they are H3N8 and H3N2.
The H3N8 variant was first discovered infecting dogs in the year 2004 when Greyhound breeds became infected and its origin is traced to horses. On the other hand, the H3N2 strain originated in Asia where it was transmitted to dogs from birds.
How Does Influenza Spread?
Influenza is a very contagious disease and canine influenza is also airborne like human influenza. Most of the time canine influenza spreads from respiratory secretions in the form of coughing, barking, and sneezing from one infected dog to your pet dog.
In addition to this, canine influenza can also spread through other ways like if your dog comes in contact with contaminated objects and environments like water bowls, kennel surfaces, and collars. Moreover, dog flu can also be transmitted from humans who had direct contact with an infected dog to their pet dogs.
Most of the time it is seen that people who take their dogs to grooming parlors, daycare centers, and dog parks report their pets getting infected with canine flu. There are numerous dogs present in these places and your dog can get easily infected by someone else.
Symptoms of Canine Influenza
You must keep an eye out for any unusual behaviors shown by your dog in his day-to-day activities. There are certain symptoms shown by your pet dog whenever he is suffering from canine influenza. The most common symptoms of canine influenza include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, purulent nasal discharge, runny eyes, fever, lethargy, and difficulty breathing.
Whenever you see any of these symptoms in your pet dog, then you need to immediately get in touch with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will conduct various tests on your dog to determine the extent of infection and will prescribe medication based on the test reports.
Moreover, it is seen that many pet parents fail to take these initial symptoms seriously and the negligence on their part leads to the development of serious health problems in their dogs. If the influenza is not treated in time, it might lead to pneumonia.
Canine influenza or dog flu is both preventable and treatable. Most of the time dogs suffering from canine influenza are treated with over-the-counter medicines that help in suppressing the symptoms associated with influenza. Moreover, in certain cases, antibiotics are also used if there are traces of secondary bacterial infection.
The best way to prevent canine influenza is to administer a canine influenza vaccine to your pet dog. Vaccines are very important for dogs as they help in preventing many diseases.
The above-discussed factors will definitely help you in dealing with canine influenza in your pet dog. Dogs getting affected with canine influenza can be easily cured of the disease when they get to see a veterinarian promptly. Besides that, getting the vaccination done must be your top priority.
