flu shot for our doodles

[Eileen Ross and Cody]

A friend mentioned that she heard a report that says that dogs who go to the dog park should get a swine flu vacination. Anyone hear about this? I will check with my vet but was curious about this.

[Kim]

I've always been told that Dogs can't catch our viruses and vice versa?

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

Dogs and puppies can not get the swine flu and there is no swine flu vacination for dogs...most important shots for dogs going out are Rabies, Distemper which carries innoculations for 5 different viruses dogs can get, and Parvo, Bordatella...those are the most serious ones they should have....

[GBK]

Below article has some good info. No reports of dogs with swine flu, and from what I have read it does not carry over between humans and dogs.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2009/09/18/can-my-dog-or-cat-get-swi...

[Ron Carnes]

Intervet has came out with a canine influenza shot. It first appeared in New Orleans after the hurricane. When the dogs were sent to different areas it started to spead. The viruss is the H1N3. Zack had his shot this morning and goes back for the booster in 3 weeks then 1 shot per year. It is fatal to only about 10% of dogs. By the time the sympoms appear it has caused lesions to the lungs. It is recommended for dog's that are boarded, dog park's and dog day care. Good Morning America had a good piece on last week.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Saw that too!! I am glad you have the info for me to be able to do some research on it.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

We have just started hearing about the flu here in San Diego. It is possible that my daughter's 4 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback had it and it eventually went into pneumonia! Luckily we caught it in time and she was give two 21 day antibiotics. Everything is back to normal. Her symptoms were a runny nose that turned "green" and then started coughing like a barking sea lion. That went to a gaging sound. Also a fairly high temperature. It was very scarey!! Our vet had heard of this flu which was originally an Equine flu and a few years ago it crossed over into the canine world via a Grayhound. If you Google it you will get the correct story. It is called the H3N8 I believe. Our vet was aware of the story but said there was no vaccine for it. I showed him the Google article which said there was. He said that if it existed, he wasn't aware of it and they didn't have it in their facilities. I understand from my husband there was an article in the newspaper about it and that there is a vaccine and it is given two weeks apart. The dogs most at risk are puppies and elderly dogs. This flu is not the Swine Flu that we as humans are afraid of. It is along the same lines but only in canines.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155094.phphttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/155094.php" target="_blank">

My Vet still feels my dogs do not need this....

[Eileen Ross and Cody]

Thanks for the info

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Did your vet say why the dogs don't need it? Side effects? Not effective? Interested in hearing what he/she has to say. All vaccines are so controversial. I need all the info I can get.
Thanks

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

My Vet said " they didn't feel dogs needed them because under the Distemper shot there are 5 different viruses a dog can get covered in that shot"! These shots you all are talking about cover Canine Influenza...NOT Swine Flu, there is a difference between them...is what I'm told.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/2009/07/02/new-dog-vaccine-for-h3n8-...
New Dog Vaccine for H3N8 Flu
Thursday July 2, 2009

Originally discovered in 2004, this canine influenza virus is believed to have jumped from horses to dogs in Florida. This virus, H3N8, is a subtype of the influenza A virus, a highly contagious pathogen that can cause disease by itself or in conjunction with other respiratory pathogens.

Transmission: As with most infectious respiratory diseases, dogs housed in close quarters (kennels, shelters) and situations where there is lots of "dog traffic" (dog day care, grooming/training, vet clinics) are most at risk. There is no evidence to date that this virus infects humans.

Clinical signs: Similar to other influenza infections, this virus causes respiratory signs of sneezing, nasal discharge and coughing. Fever may occur, but not often.

Diagnosis: Because these signs are the same as many other respiratory infections, a special test is necessary to diagnose the H3N8 virus. This test is called a PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) and usually two samples are submitted over a 2 week period to positively identify infection.

H3N8 Treatment: Treatment for this disease is supportive; making sure that the dog maintains appetite, extreme coughing is controlled, and monitoring for fever or development of more serious complications, such as pneumonia. Your veterinarian will determine if pneumonia is a risk and if antibiotics for secondary bacterial infection are warranted.

H3N8 Vaccine: The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has conditionally approved the first vaccine for the canine H3N8 virus on June 23, 2009. The canine influenza vaccine (CIV) is made from a killed virus.

From APHIS:
Studies indicate that the vaccine can reduce the incidence and severity of lung lesions, as well as the duration of coughing and viral shedding. The product is administered by injection, and is recommended for use in healthy dogs at six weeks of age or older as an aid in the control of disease associated with canine influenza virus infection

[Joe R.]

Both of ours got the vaccine when the went in for grooming last week. There was a outbreak of canine influenza in Fairfax County, VA last month at the county shelter. So I had no problem having them get it. Funny thing is before reading the clinical signs in Adrianne's post I did notice Lilly sneezing more often over the past month.