Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can affect dogs of all breeds and ages. It is not as common as human flu, although it can spread quickly, especially in places where dogs gather, such as kennels, dog parks, and grooming facilities. Many people like to raise and care for dogs, and there are many different species and breeds of them, so it is necessary to know the causes and symptoms of dog flu, which is what we will discuss in detail today from teketrek.
What is dog flu virus?
It is the flu that occurs in dogs due to types of viruses of category A, such as the horse flu virus, which also causes the disease in dogs, because dogs do not have natural immunity and the disease is transmitted to them quickly, especially if they are gathered in one area. It is a disease with a high morbidity and rapid symptoms, but its death rate is low. Influenza has caused some outbreaks of respiratory diseases in the tracks between 1999 and 2003. Therefore, dog flu is a serious disease and causes many complications if it is not treated quickly.
How do dogs get the flu?
The infection may be transmitted through a person who raises dogs and is with them, after touching the infected dog and then touching another dog. The infection is also transmitted from the infected dog to another dog living with him in the same place. When symptoms of dog flu appear in one of the dogs, some of those symptoms cause it to be transmitted directly to other dogs in the same complex, through the droplets resulting from coughing or sneezing, for example. The flu is transmitted primarily through the runny nose that results when an infected dog coughs, sneezes or barks.
It is known that viruses have a lifespan in which they are present on surfaces such as water and bedding for a period of up to 48 hours, which makes it easy for dogs to become infected with the virus through contact with contaminated objects. This becomes more dangerous when the infected dog mixes and is present in a place where there are a large number of dogs, such as dog houses or care centers, etc. The infection may be transmitted to other dogs despite the fact that the symptoms of influenza do not appear on the infected dogs. This may happen between two to four days after exposure to the virus.
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What are the symptoms of dog flu and signs to watch for?
There are several symptoms and signs that appear on the dog when infected with canine influenza, and these symptoms must be observed on the dog to take the necessary treatment measures. These symptoms are:
- Coughing, which may be a dry and persistent cough, is often the first sign of infection, and some dogs may suffer from a wet cough.
- Fever A dog infected with influenza may develop a fever, which may sometimes reach 40 or 41 degrees Celsius.
- Lethargy Infected dogs often appear tired or lacking energy.
- Loss of appetite Loss of appetite is a common symptom, especially when the dog suffers from a fever.
- Sneezing Dogs infected with canine influenza may suffer from frequent sneezing as the body tries to expel the virus.
- Nasal and eye discharge, which is a runny nose and eyes are common symptoms, which may sometimes be confused with allergies or a mild cold.
How do you treat a dog with a cold or flu?
Canine influenza, like horse influenza, has no antiviral treatment for this virus, especially dog influenza, but there is a treatment for prevention and to support the body so that it can alleviate these symptoms. The body can resist this infection through treatment with some vaccines issued by the Ministry of Health as well. Rest is also considered a treatment that allows the immune system to fight the virus in dogs. As for medications, veterinarians may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce fever.
If a secondary bacterial infection develops, antibiotics may be necessary in these cases.
Treatment of influenza in dogs may be hospitalized in severe cases, especially if the matter develops and symptoms increase, such as if there is pneumonia, in which case there is treatment with oxygen or intravenous fluids. Most dogs recover from canine influenza within two to three weeks. However, it is important to keep the dog isolated from other dogs during this period to prevent the spread of the virus.
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How to prevent the spread of the disease among dogs
There are several measures that can be taken to avoid the spread of canine influenza virus infection among dogs, such as:
There are preventive measures that must be followed in order to prevent the spread of canine influenza, such as avoiding places where there are dogs infected with influenza and places where dogs gather.
Daily hygiene is also a reason for the spread of the disease among dogs, whether through good hygiene for the person raising the dogs when dealing with them so that this virus is not transmitted to other dogs, and good hygiene of the place where a group of dogs is present is important.
Isolating infected dogs is one of the best things that prevent the spread of the disease to other dogs. The person infected with the virus must be kept isolated from the other group until he is fully recovered so that he does not cause the infection to be transmitted to other dogs.
Vaccinating dogs against influenza
In order to prevent the spread of canine influenza, the competent authority, veterinary units, and others vaccinate dogs with some vaccines, as well as perform some chest X-rays, in cases where pneumonia is suspected, as canine influenza can be confused with other respiratory infections such as contagious cough, and a misdiagnosis can delay appropriate treatment. Blood tests are also taken to detect antibodies to the virus in the animal’s body, especially if the viruses have been present for several days, which is known through a blood test. The competent authorities may also perform nasal and throat swabs to detect the presence of the influenza virus.
Canine influenza is considered an infection that must be prevented Any of them urgently so that the percentage of those infected with it does not increase, because this type of virus is also similar to other types that infect humans, and other animals such as horses and cats, and knowing this type of influenza and knowing its symptoms helps us take precautions and caution, and put the necessary protection methods and vaccinations that help the body resist influenza, and preventive measures such as avoiding high-risk environments, isolating infected dogs from the rest of the group, as well as continuing good hygiene are necessary in order to prevent canine influenza.
