H3N2 Dog Influenza Confirmed In Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- When Tim Dewey first learned about the dog influenza outbreak hitting the greater Chicago area, he began keeping a tighter leash on his rescue dog, Grover.
But the more he read about it, the more assured he became. Up to that point there had been no confirmed cases of the H3N2 strain affecting dogs in Minnesota.
"I'd heard that dogs with regular exposure to other dogs might have a higher immune system, whereas dogs that only meet face-to-face, or nose-to-nose on a walk, might be somewhat more susceptible to it," Dewey said.
But the Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed Wednesday that the same virus hitting Chicago was found in five dogs at a Detroit Lakes kennel.
All of the dogs affected back in early April have since fully recovered.
Animal health experts believe the influenza was spread when a dog from Yorkville, Illinois was brought to the Minnesota facility March 30.
The owners of Lucky Dog Boarding and Training Center in Detroit Lakes say no other dogs have gotten sick since April, and steps were taken to prevent additional cases.
Yorkville is in the greater Chicago area, where many cases of H3N2 influenza have been found.
"There is no vaccine for H3N2," West Gate Pet Clinic's Dr. Teresa Hershey said.
She says a vaccine for another influenza strain, H3N8, is still recommended if your dog is highly social.
That vaccine may also offer some limited cross protection.
"[H3N2 is] a highly-contagious virus, so most dogs that get exposed to it will show some signs of flu," Hershey said. "Thankfully, most dogs will have a self-limiting disease, which means that they won't get that sick from it."
Symptoms of the canine influenza include coughing, fever and cloudy nasal discharge. In some cases, infected dogs -- if left untreated -- can develop more serious conditions like pneumonia.
For dog owners like Dewey, paying extra attention to Grover is just good medicine.
"We keep an eye out for it," Dewey said. "We're certainly sensitive and aware of any kind of health changes that he might have."
The Board of Animal Health says no cases of dog flu have been found in the Twin Cities. And better yet, no new cases have been seen in Minnesota in over a month.
If your dog shows any symptoms -- like cough, fever or nasal discharge -- see your vet.
You can learn more about protecting your dog from the flu by visiting this link.
