A dog flu strain making the rounds this spring has sickened more than 1,000 dogs in the Chicago-area, killing a small number of them.
The U.S. had not seen the respiratory illness in dogs in more than 10 years.
There only have been a couple confirmed dog flu cases in Wisconsin, yet the outbreak is alarming some pet owners here.
Barbie Weeks has been paying attention to the news reports out of Chicago. “They do concern me, especially since I come to the dog park every day,” Weeks says.
Weeks takes Lazarus to the park. Lazarus is a white, wiry-haired pooch, with pointy ears and a feisty spirit.
Weeks says she’s watching him for dog flu symptoms, like runny eyes, sneezing and loss of appetite. “As soon as he develops any symptoms, he’s going right to the vet. If I saw symptoms in another dog, I’d definitely let that owner know that, hey, you know, you should take him in and have him checked out,” Weeks says.
Another dog owner, Kelly Price, also is watching the news reports about dog flu. Yet she says she’s not too concerned about it – just yet. “I have not really had any reason to be concerned,” Price says.
Price recently was sitting in the waiting room of Lakeside Animal Hospital in Glendale, while Harry, her big, shaggy Golden Doodle, chomped on a dog biscuit. He’s not there for the flu -- just a routine appointment.
“We don’t take him very many places, so he’s at home with us most of the time,” Price says. So Price doesn’t worry about Harry catching the dog flu, even if it spreads in Wisconsin.
Dr. William Rice is a vet here at Lakeside. He predicts that spread will occur. “I hope it doesn’t come here, but it probably will sneak up here,” Rice says.
And Rice believes the flu would likely spread rapidly, because lots of owners take their dogs everywhere.
“Dogs are big about nose-to-nose, their nose is everywhere. That’s how they communicate, that’s how they investigate. They are pack animals, they love to be together, and since it is respiratory, it’s just going everywhere,” Rice says.
A dog even could pass the virus to cats, although the American Veterinary Medical Association has not seen evidence of transmission. Rice says humans are not at risk.
The idea of a quickly spreading virus might sound scary. But Dr. Robert Crowley says it’s important to weigh the danger dogs actually might face, if they get sick.
“I think in most cases, it’s going to be generally pretty mild. Most dogs are not going to need treatment,” Crowley says. Crowley is with Community Veterinary Clinic on Milwaukee’s south side.
“Some dogs (could be) hit harder, where they might need some supportive care, fluids, potentially antibiotics depending on how they’re doing -- if they get secondary bacterial infections -- but most dogs are going to be able to get over this on their own,” Crowley says.
Crowley says a dog flu vaccine exists. But it’s not a match for this new strain of flu, so its efficacy is unclear. Even so, some dog owners still want the vaccine for their pet.
And Crowley says lots have been asking questions.
“I don’t think there’s any time to panic, it’s just taking reasonable precautions,” Crowley says. Precautions such as avoiding dog parks and seeing the vet, if symptoms arise.
