Vet says he's seen a 'massive' increase in canine flu cases
HEMPFIELD, Pa. (KDKA) — If you are a dog owner and your furry friend frequents a dog park or kennel, you may be exposing your favorite animal to canine flu.
It's been making its way across the country, and it's now in the area.
"Because it's so virulent, we saw a massive uptick in flu cases, coughing dogs, in a three-, four-week period," said Dr. Roman Lamberski of the Pennsylvania Animal Wellness and Surgery Center.
Canine flu symptoms include cough, runny nose, fever, no appetite, thirst and lethargy. The dog flu is easy to catch depending on the environment.
"Anywhere you are going to get a group of animals together, you are going to have the potential for disease transmission," Lamberski said. "Sharing water bowls, playing with the same toys."
The mortality rate is around 10 percent, but Lamberski said to keep one thing in mind.
"The older you are, the more immune-compromised you are," he said. "If you haven't had your vaccines yet when you were a puppy, you are going to be at a greater risk of potential complications."
Lamberski said he thinks we are beginning to see dog flu peak in the area, but it is still out there.
"We had a few in the oxygen cage for the day just to help them breathe better to get them through the disease process," he said.
The good news, according to Lamburski, is after about three weeks, the flu moves on and your dog is back to normal.