Everyone in my house was interested to read about the recent approval of the new dog flu vaccine. Even though I love chicken, I don’t think I’d be interested in getting the flu just to eat some chicken soup. The vaccine will protect dogs from getting H3N8, the flu virus that is thought to have mutated from a strain of flu found in horses and started an outbreak in dogs. I read that some cases have been seen in North Carolina and also because it is a new disease it spreads very quickly.
There are other things, besides a vaccine that you can do to keep your furry kids healthy. The most important thing is to try and stay away from other kids that might be sick. This includes sharing water, food or playing with dogs that exhibit symptoms. The symptoms of this flu are coughing, sneezing, runny nose, tiredness and fever. You can also make sure they are eating a healthy diet. And, if your dog starts to cough they probably need to see the doctor. A cough doesn’t always mean the flu, but it usually means some sort of illness.
The best thing to do is talk with your veterinarian. They will know best if your furry kid needs the flu vaccine.
