There is much concern about Canine Influenza and it’s expected arrival in Portland. We invite you to read more about this infectious disease at the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association website: https://oregonvma.org/care-health/canine-influenza
The important things to know are:
- Practically speaking, if your dog stays at home and rarely contacts other dogs, its risk of contracting the virus is likely low. If your dog is boarded, goes to day care, or the dog park, it may be at a higher risk.
- The most common clinical signs are coughing, loss of appetite, lethargy, fever, sneezing, and discharge from the eyes and/or nose. Dogs can become ill within 24 hours of exposure. Some dogs don’t show symptoms, but are able to infect other dogs for weeks. Most dogs diagnosed with canine influenza experience a mild form of the disease.
- Call your veterinarian if your dog develops a cough, especially if it has already received the Bordetella vaccine. If your dog is coughing, do not take it out to locations where it may infect other dogs. Early intervention is key to limiting community outbreaks.
- Vaccines are available for both the H3N8 and H3N2 strains. Discuss your dog’s specific risk factors with your veterinarian to determine whether vaccination against canine influenza is appropriate for your pet.
- Current vaccines do not prevent CIV infection but they siginificantly decrease the severity and degree of infections, illness, and viral shedding. Onset of significant immunity may take up to 1 week after the second booster, thus single vaccines are unlikely to be protective for dogs initially entering shelters or other high-risk facilities.