I have a niece who has recently lost 2 dogs to the new strain of Dog Flu going around. You only have a 24 hour window for it to be diagnosed before it goes into Pneumonia! It is not confined to one area, because it started with Greyhound Races on the West Coast and has spread through-out Kennels, Shelters, etc. It is an airborne virus, but has a 7-10 incubation period. No panic meant here, just information. Humans can be carriers by being in contact with the saliva or fluids of an infected dog. Anytime you are around unknown dogs, be sure to immediately disinfect everything with a 10% bleach solution. This has shown to be effective at eliminating the virus. Also, a dog can be a carrier and not ever get the virus. So, if you have been around other dogs, or your beloved doxies have been around any dogs that you are unsure of, please disinfect all bedding, food & water bowls, floors, etc.
This niece lives in Oklahoma, but the veterinarian I work for in Virginia says it is a National Warning that has been sent out to all Veterinarians. Good news: They have been working on a vaccine for 3 months and hope to get one confirmed, prepared and distributed ASAP.
Keep giving all those furbabies hugs and kisses. Any questions, please feel free to write. It may be a day or two, but if I don't know the information, I will find it out! I will find the link to the Oklahoma Article as soon as I get a minute.
Trish
Thanks Trish. SO sorry about your nieces dogs, that is horrific. I have kept Hallie from shows due to this flu although I don't know anyone personally who has had it, but there have been a few confirmed cases in Wash. I plan to start showing her again in January though, and this flu does scare me half to death. I have a question though, everything I have read and heard says that the dog will get sick similar to kennel cough, except with fever as well, then the dog seems to get better for about 10 days, then that's when the pneumonia will hit. That is also how it happened to a friend of a friends dog in Calif who died from it. Are you saying it can go into pneumonia after only 24 hours from the first onset of symptoms? I do worry about this because with our lifestyle, we are in contact with people and dogs all the time, Hallie goes everywhere with me and we go to class 2-3 times a week, etc. That's great they are working on a vaccine but then I also worry they will find out down the road the vaccine may have problems since there has been no time to test it. Ack! Makes you want to go out and get a bubble for you baby!!
Quote from: doxie2mom on December 07, 2005, 09:09:26 AM
I have a niece who has recently lost 2 dogs to the new strain of Dog Flu going around. You only have a 24 hour window for it to be diagnosed before it goes into Pneumonia! <snip> No panic meant here, just information. Humans can be carriers by being in contact with the saliva or fluids of an infected dog. Anytime you are around unknown dogs, be sure to immediately disinfect everything with a 10% bleach solution. This has shown to be effective at eliminating the virus. Also, a dog can be a carrier and not ever get the virus. So, if you have been around other dogs, or your beloved doxies have been around any dogs that you are unsure of, please disinfect all bedding, food & water bowls, floors, etc.
LOL Not to cause panic, but disinfect *everything*? ;-)
Not to burst your bubble, but this is not the dire emergency that's being made out here. First, Cornell University researchers were the ones in the forefront of identifying this thing--and they note that it can persist for a few weeks as a cough... not a 24 hours before it becomes pneumonia sort of thing. Also, the fatality rate is thought to be below 5%.
http://www.diaglab.vet.cornell.edu/issues/civ-dect.asp
Here's the media telebrief from the Center for Disease Control:
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t050926.htm
Here are the AVMA guidelines (which were just updated on the 1st of December):
http://www.avma.org/public_health/influenza/canine_guidelines.asp
They tell the general public to keep their dog healthy, and not worry overmuch.
Here's a really good handout that sums everything up...
http://www.vet.ksu.edu/features/health/Canine_Influenza_DVM_handout_color.pdf
So, all of that said, you *should* be able to see the illness in a seriously affected dog--i.e. high temperature and pneumonia symptoms. (Were your niece's dogs elderly? Or did they have some other health issues that put them "at risk"?)
As for sheltering your dogs for the virus? Well.... pretty tough to do. It's probably smarter to be out and about with your *healthy* dogs--allowing them to get a little natural immunity to this stuff...since that's all that's available, and for most dogs, it manifests as a 'kennel cough' type of thing anyway. I guess it comes down to being smart about it... not allowing your dog to be nose to nose with a stranger... and treating *any* odd symptom as "a visit to the vet" rather than "I'll see how it goes".
JMHO.
MaryAnne
It's great to hear from you. I understand your concern. I have been told to check the temperature if they cough like kennel cough, sometimes not quite so severe of a cough. If any fever, straight to the vet. If no fever, but they show greenish discharge, straight to the vet. Yes, 24 hours between symptoms and pneumonia. That is why they are having deaths from the flu. It sets into pneumonia VERY quickly and they have to get Baytril on board before that happens for the best chance of a cure. Also, the reason it will take longer for the vaccine to be available is because they do have to test it first, so that will not be a problem. They will already know of any complications and have warnings before they can distribute it. That is the law on vaccines for animals, as well as humans, so not a problem. Hope this helps! Also, extreme cold kills the virus, so if the temperature in your area stays cold for long periods of time, it is less likely to spread there.
Don't panic! Stay safe and snug and I will talk to you soon! BTW, how is Hallie's showing coming along? I haven't been here in so long I don't know the scoop! :)
Trish
:thumb:Great advice. I particular like the AVMA's response and have copied that URL for future reference. Although most of what they are saying is true, some areas of the Country are at higher risk, partly because of their climates. Warmer climates naturally have more concern. One of the dogs was elderly, but another one was a rescue that wasn't around the other dog. I believe, and told her, that I thought it came to her home via the Rescues she has been fostering, adopting out, etc. She volunteers for an organization called PAWS (Pet Awareness Welfare Society) and does a lot of rescue work. I just wanted my Weiner friends to be safe and have a head's up about it, since you are spread around the world! :) Also, I know a lot of you are involved with rescues or they own you, so.....
Also, the reason there are so few "fatalities" is that most people have no idea what they are dealing with, so they are just burying them or whatever. My niece has sent one to OSU for Necropsy, so that if it is found that it was this flu, it can be confirmed.
Thanks for the advice. Very well researched and very informative!
Trish