Blog-Wa, the Dog-Wa Blog

In January 2004, researchers isolated the H3N8 dog flu.

The virus, scientists believe, jumped from horses to dogs at least five years ago, but it has never infected a human.  The researcher who discovered the flu strain became suspicious when she observed a mysterious cough and pneumonia that killed a third of the greyhounds at a Florida dog track.

The flu has hit hard in Florida, New York City’s northern suburbs, Philadelphia and Denver.  Affected dogs have now been found in 30 states, but almost exclusively in settings where dogs live closely together: shelters, pet stores, kennels and dog schools.

Snub-nosed dogs that have been bred to have a short, bent respiratory tract are at the greatest risk.

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that last week the United States Department of Agriculture announced that it had approved the first vaccine for it.

So if you have a dog that might be affected, consider talking to your veterinarian about the vaccination.  As we have all seen with the Swine Flu, these things are unpredictable.  Flu strains can mutate rapidly and some dogs may be more susceptible than others.

In this case, an ounce or prevention may be worth a pound of cure.

Here’s a link to the article in the New York Times.