In just the last two weeks, both the D.C. Humane Rescue Alliance and Prince George’s County’s Animal Shelter had to close their doors temporarily due to canine influenza.
Vets say it’s all part of a larger outbreak in the area, which might not be going away any time soon.
“Most of the time it causes upper respiratory tract symptoms,” said Dr. Carole Foster, a vet with Nebel St. Animal Hospital in Rockville, Maryland.
Foster said canine flu didn’t used to be much of a problem in the region, but “last winter, we did have an outbreak of the flu in our area for the first time, well, ever.”
Since then, the virus, which is spread through contact — very similar to how humans acquire the flu — has been a much bigger problem.
Foster said canine flu is especially contagious and can spread easily, which is why recent shelter closures have made sense.
“It’s easy to catch, especially in dogs that are in close contact in facilities like kennels, shelters, boarding facilities — things like that,” she explained. “You need to disinfect the clinics, which can take as long as a week or two to get rid of what’s on surfaces or in the air.”
Foster said another big reason why canine flu has been more prevalent in the D.C. region could be the fact that the vaccine for it is on a nationwide manufacturer back order.
“We’ve been having difficulty getting the vaccine into dogs because of lack of availability,” said Foster.
Most times, Foster said, symptoms in dogs aren’t severe, and the virus usually goes away on its own.
“Occasionally though, you will have those dogs that become very ill, just like you do with people,” she said.
More severe cases sometimes require antibiotics or anti-cough medications. Foster said the best thing you can do is monitor your dog’s breathing, coughing and appetite, and look for things like a runny nose or eyes.
If you’re unsure whether your dog might have a bad case, simply call your local veterinarian.
“I do expect I might see more cases of it in the next weeks or so,” Foster said.
