How to Identify Whether or Not Your Dog Needs a Flu Vaccine

Many people need to board their dogs for vacation time. When pick up time comes everything seems fine until suddenly you hear coughing. Needless to say boarding kennels and other places where there is a high number of dogs are ideal places to pick up diseases. You notice some nasal discharge, he feels like he might have a temperature and is reluctant to eat. Is it the flu? It could be.

Symptoms of the flu include:

• sneezing
• coughing
• runny nose
• fever
• lethargy
• loss of appetite

The good news is about 80% of dogs who are infected with the flu virus will have mild symptoms, 20% will show no symptoms but are still able to spread the virus. Most dogs recover over a two to three week period of time.

As with humans, the flu in dogs can progress to pneumonia. Even though there is a small percentage of cases that actually progresses to pneumonia, it does happen.

Symptoms of pneumonia are:

• high fiever
• thick purulent nasal discharge
• difficulty breathing

Some pneumonia cases in dogs are fatal. The flu symptoms are unfortunately symptoms of several other canine diseases which makes it hard for veterinarians to diagnose. There are no point of care tests currently available specifically for the flu virus. Careful specimen collection handling plus sending the tests outside of vet offices to laboratories can be expensive. Because of this expense more often than not canine influenza is not definitely diagnosed, but treated like any other canine respiratory disease.

There is not one specific treatment for dog flu. Supportive care is about all that can be given. If your dog has the more severe pneumonia symptoms he may need to be treated in a vet hospital with antibiotics.

Most common places for dogs to catch the flu virus include:

• dog parks
• grooming facilities
• kennels
• daycares
• dog shows

There are vaccines available for the strains common in the United States. It is important to remember flu vaccines do not always prevent the flu in dogs just as it is in humans.

Side effects of the flu vaccine include:

• lethargy
• low grade fever
• lump at site of injection
• hives
• itching
• in rare cases, severe reactions can occur

Never vaccinate a pregnant dog.

Vets will usually recommend the flu vaccine according to your dog's lifestyle. Dogs who are at higher risk due to more exposure to other dogs, who attend day cares, dog shows, boarding, group classes, dog parks and so on are usually prime candidates for the flu vaccine. The first vaccine can be given as early as 6 weeks of age and then boosters are required two to four weeks later. If your dog is one in the high risk group, ask your vet about the flu vaccine.

Feed your dogs year round a high quality dog food formula such as those offered through the Life's Abundance Holistic Pet Food Company.

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Life’s Abundance is an employee owned company on a mission to improve the health and wellness of families.

We believe that life is precious and should be enjoyed to the fullest extent possible. We are passionate about the various products we offer, the customers we serve, the business opportunity we represent and the work of our non-profit, The Dr. Jane Foundation. Since 1999, our tireless dedication to our mission has produced an extended track record of profitability and success.