By Monica Pryts
MERCER COUNTY — The phrase “sick as a dog” usually applies to humans, but reports of canine influenza in at least 30 states could change that.
Pennsylvania is one of those states, and while Mercer County hasn’t had any reported cases of the dog flu, at least one local veterinary office is working to prevent the illness from hitting the area.
Greenville Veterinary Clinic, 409 E. Jamestown Road, West Salem Township, has given about 25 dogs the recently developed canine influenza vaccine, said Dr. Tammy Clark.
The dog flu was first discovered in 2004 at greyhound racing track in Florida and spread among racing dogs in other states, eventually affecting more than just greyhounds, Dr. Clark said.
“All breeds are equally susceptible. It’s not just a greyhound disease,” she said.
According to information the clinic has for patients, the virus is a highly contagious strain of the flu also known as H3N8. That particular strain affects only dogs and cannot spread to humans or other types of animals.
There is still a lot of research going on, so the “potential is there” for the strain to change, Dr. Clark said.
Symptoms can include nasal discharge and loss of appetite, and most commonly a fever, lethargy and coughing.
“Those are probably the big three,” Dr. Clark said.
Anyone who sees those signs in their dog should see their vet as soon as possible. Testing for the dog flu is available but the clinic doesn’t yet offer it, she said.
Left untreated, the dog flu could turn into pneumonia and in severe cases, be fatal.
It is commonly spread through contact with other dogs at places like boarding kennels, grooming parlors, dog parks and obedience classes, she said. Keep sick dogs isolated at home and make sure they get plenty of rest and water.
“My goal is to not see it in this area,” she said.
That’s why the clinic decided to start offering the vaccine about two months ago. It’s a series of two shots given two to four weeks apart and is recommended as a yearly vaccine after the initial doses.
Dr. Clark recommends the vaccine for dogs who spend a lot of time outside the home with other dogs. She and her colleagues try to get a feel for a dog’s lifestyle before suggesting the vaccine, which most pet owners agree sounds like a good idea.
“There is no shortage of it like the human vaccinations,” she said.
There are no known side effects of the shot and most dogs do well with the vaccine, which is given in the back of the neck. Dr. Clark’s two whippets, Izzy, 3, and Hannah, 10, seemed oblivious to getting their second dose of the vaccine and went back to running around the clinic.
The clinic charges about $20 for the vaccine, she said.
Karen Ittel of Atlantic had her dogs vaccinated for the dog flu at the clinic.
Lucy and Joy, both 2 years old, came down with kennel cough in September after spending six days in a local kennel, even though they had been vaccinated for it.
The symptoms of kennel cough are similar to dog flu and Ms. Ittel took the dogs to the clinic for treatment. That’s when Dr. Clark told her about the dog flu and suggested the vaccine, especially since the dogs will be in the kennel again over Christmas.
Ms. Ittel had them vaccinated in November “just in case it gets bad around here” and she now feels better about her pets’ health. They responded well to the vaccine with no side effects.
“I’m not going to be as nervous,” she said.
Dr. Clark said dog owners in other parts of Mercer County can check with their veterinarian to see if they offer the vaccine.
Swine flu in animals is also a concern for pet owners and has been confirmed in ferrets, pigs, a cat and poultry. There is no swine flu vaccine for animals.
For more information about the dog flu and vaccine, contact the Greenville Veterinary Clinic at 724-588-5260.
