Can My Dog Get the Flu?

Did you know?

That was the question posed to me last week at a class I was taking downtown. With all the talk about the H1N1 Swine Flu and the annual flu vaccine reminders on billboards it's no wonder that I was asked if dogs and cats can get the flu. Surprisingly enough there is a flu form that affects dogs. The first case of H3N8 Canine Influenza was first detected in racing greyhounds back in 1999. H3N8 is believed to have originated as an Equine Influenza that jumped species to greyhounds, mutated and has since become contagious to all dogs. The first major outbreak of the virus happened in 2004 and it continues to make an appearance throughout the country in varying degrees. The clinical signs for Canine Influenza are much the same as kennel cough, which makes the virus difficult to diagnose with out a lab test. But as of yet, we haven't seen that many cases in our ER.

Let me tell you why.
First, let me put your fears to rest and tell you that humans can not catch the canine flu. Phew, one less thing to worry about. But, your dog can catch canine influenza from other dogs. Just like humans some dogs can get the virus and have no physical symptoms while other dogs can get pretty sick and even develop a secondary bacterial infection that requires antibiotics and intensive medical care.

As I mentioned, symptoms of the canine influenza look very similar to other upper respiratory illnesses and the treatment would be very similar as well. Symptoms could include cough, runny nose or nasal discharge, increased breating rate, fever, and just feeling kind of blah. With those symptoms the best treatment is to make sure your dog stays hydrated and keep him or her away from other animals for a few days. However, if the cough gets worse, or your dogs normal attitude and behavior continues to be off, a visit to your family veterinarian is advised. If a secondary infection has developed into bronchitis or pneumonia then a full spectrum antibiotic will be prescribed and your furry friend may need to be hospitalized for continued supportive care.

Canine influenza can be spread through sneezing and coughing by contagious animals or through saliva left on balls or sticks when playing. Humans can bring it home on clothes or toys that were in contact with an infectious dog. So as with humans, if you are around dogs that are coughing or sneezing a lot be sure to wash balls, bedding, favorite blankets etc to minimize the spread of the virus.

The moral of the story...let's hope we all avoid the flu, humans and canines too.

Lost and Found

Did you know?
As an animal ER we often have "good samaritans" bring hurt animals to us for care. Of course, besides taking care of their physical wounds or illness we also would love to reconnect the four-legged animal with their two legged human. In our hospital we keep an iMAX Black Label International Universal microchip reader - specially designed to read any of the microchips. Any stray dog or cat brought to our hospital gets scanned to see if we can match the pet with an owner. Being in an animal welfare profession we of course love it when we have a happy ending, sadly that is not always the case. The most frustrating is when there is a readable chip, but the client has forgotten to update their information after a move or phone # change.

Let me tell you why.
Animal identification systems are made up of three parts:

1. The microchip - a tiny rice sized component that is uniquely identified with a number that matches the animal with your personal information. The microchip is inserted under the skin just over the shoulder blade by your veterinarian or at your local shelter.
2. The reader - there are various readers that are either specific to the chip manufacturer and can read only that chip or universal readers that can read multiple manufacturer chips.
3. The database - there must be a repository of all the pets and their respective owners that shelters, animal control agencies, or veterinarians can access to attempt to reconnect you and your pet.

As you can see, there are multiple areas of potential breakdown in the process. The microchip could migrate to an area of the body that is unexpected and get missed when scanning. The reader might not read the type of microchip that has been inserted into your animal; or your information stored in the database is out of date and there is no way to reach you.

So, you ask, why microchip? Because that would be the perfect storm. The majority of the time when a microchip is present there is a happy reunion. Isn't that the way you want your movie script written?

A checklist of reminders:
- have your family veterinarian scan for the chip occasionally to ensure it hasn't migrated and the id # is readable
- whenever your personal information changes, update the microchip directory

So, if you have microchipped your animal and your pet squeezes through the fence, gets found by a "good samaritan" and is brought to our ER then we know who to call to return "Lucky" to his rightful owner.

If you haven't, here are some microchip identification systems for you to consider:

Bayer resQ Microchip Identification System
AVID - American Veterinary Identification Devices
AKC Companion Animal Recovery
HomeAgain Pet Recovery and Identification System
PetLink International Pet Directory

The moral of the story...help script a happy ending to get your lost pet found.

Home Remedies

Did you know?

You may have called your veterinarian's office with a question about symptoms your pet is experiencing and been asked to bring your pet in for care. The honest truth is that it can be very difficult to provide good medical advice over the phone. There are so many variables that could be causing the symptoms being experienced by your pet and sometimes there is no way for a verbal description to convey the true nature or severity of the problem. Sometimes the best option is to bring your pet in for a physical exam by a trained veterinarian. However, there are some simple comfort and first aid measures that you can do at home to provide relief either physically or emotionally for your pet and for yourself. There are also a couple that are best avoided and you may not be aware of the risk.

Let me tell you what they are...

1. Skunk Bath
The first one is more for you than "Lucky". If your pet gets sprayed by a skunk there is a good likelihood that he/she could stay in the stench for a while (unless the spray got in the eyes - it burns). You, on the other hand, probably won't sleep unless you can get some of the smell out. The first step is to rinse the eyes with sterile saline solution. Then follow with the skunk bath.

Here is the "skunk bath" recipe we give to our clients when they call:
1 Quart (32 oz) 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
1/4 C baking soda
1 t liquid soap - citrus scent

Mix all ingredients together. Poor the liquid over the animal, lather up and rinse off. Depending on the size of the animal and the intensity of the smell you may need to repeat the procedure multiple times. These quantities can be doubled or tripled.

2. Eye Wash
Sterile Buffered Saline solution is safe to use to wash out your pets eyes from skunk spray, an air borne contaminant, speck of sawdust, or a small blade of grass. However, if your pet continues to paw at its eyes, the eye(s) appear red or the object seems stuck in the eye, then follow-up veterinary care would be required. The eye may have gotten scratched, or an infection may have developed, that requires an ophthalmic medication.

3. Canned Pumpkin
If your dog or cat is having the occasional case of constipation or diarrhea, one of the things that might help is canned pumpkin. Yes, canned pumpkin in its pureed form (NOT pumpkin pie filling) is a fantastic stool softener which makes it a good natural remedy for constipation. It often helps with upset stomach or indigestion for both cats and dogs. It is very rich in fiber and adding just one or two teaspoonfuls to your pet's food often gets the system moving in no time. Dogs will occasionally want to eat it directly and that's fine too. Sometimes though, finicky cats and dogs won't touch it, no matter what you do.

On the opposite end of things is diarrhea. Since the dietary fiber in canned pumpkin absorbs water, it can be a great help to a cat or dog that has diarrhea. Some pet owners report that it firms up their pet's loose stools or diarrhea within a few hours. Again one to two teaspoonfuls is all that is needed.

It should be noted that both diarrhea and constipation can be very serious. Whatever the cause, diarrhea or constipation lasting more than 24-36 hours requires immediate veterinary care.

4. NO NSAIDS
NSAIDS - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are a class of medications that include, but are not limited to, aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Nuprin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), and COX -2 inhibitors (Celebrex). All of these drugs can be toxic to dogs and cats and should never be administered at home.
The only exceptions for dogs are baby or buffered aspirin, or acetaminaphen, which should only be administered under the direction of a veterinarian for correct dosing. Veterinarians can prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain relieving medications that are safe for "Lucky".

5. Heat Support
If your pet has just had surgery, or "Lucky" comes in from playing in the snow and can't seem to get warm, you may be tempted to place him or her on your cozy electric heating pad for some extra warmth. Unfortunately, heating pads are notorious for large fluctuations in temperature and even though your cat or dog may seem very fluffy, the heating pad can actually cause serious hot spots or burns to your pet's skin. Instead, try a warmed water bottle or fill a balloon with warm water and place either of these under a towel for your pet to lie near. This indirect heat can be re-warmed, but has less likelihood to get too hot for comfort. If your pet is mobile, let him move off the heat at will. If not mobile, be sure to reposition your cat or dog every 10 minutes or so to be sure the heat is evenly distributed and does not burn one part of his body.

The moral of the story...have a few tricks up your sleeve, but play it safe.

"Speaking for Spot"

Time for a Change

I've decided to change the format of the blog this week. Instead of my usual alerts about how to keep your "Lucky" safe I thought you might enjoy a quick peak at a book I was introduced to last week. Dr. Nancy Kay is a boarded Internal Medicine Specialist who practices at VCA Animal Care Center of Sonoma County in Northern California. Her book, Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life, came out in 2008. This book offers some excellent information for animal owners about veterinary care in the 21st century. Veterinary medicine has grown by leaps and bounds in scope and application in the last 10 -15 years and many more options are available for treating illness and injury for your four-legged friend.

The book seems to be targeted towards dog owners through the pictures and chapter titles, but the information inside applies for cats just as well. Topics in the book range from "The 10 Commandments of Veterinary Office Visits" to descriptions of some of the advanced medical diagnostic and treatment options that might be used for your animal. Sprinkled in between the data and descriptions are heart warming vignettes about animals, their humans and the emotional impact of an experience they have had with their veterinarian as they walked through medical decisions.

Dr. Kay has captured a book full of tips and truths that we often wish we had the time to communicate to our clients in the short time we see them in an emergency visit. I highly recommend this book to pet owners to get the most out of your interaction with your veterinarian and learn how to help your furry friend "live a happy, healthy, longer life".

You can listen to an interview with Dr. Kay about her book on a Fresh Air broadcast, the National Public Radio weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues hosted by Terry Gross. Just below the feature is an excerpt from her book that will give you a taste of the practical information this book provides. Dr. Kay also writes a weekly blog that expounds on topics related to those found in the book and there is a website dedicated to Speaking for Spot with links to purchase your own copy. I'm sure yours will become "dog eared" from lots of use.

Happy reading!