Friday, June 1, 2007

Palm Beach Canine Flu Alert

The Palm Beach Post is reporting that their county's Animal Care and Control Department has quarantined 25 to 30 dogs and suspended rabies vaccinations and microchipping for pets after a dog tested positive for canine influenza at the shelter. The dogs will remain under quarantine for 10 days, the length of the disease's incubation period. Officials are cautioning pet owners to be careful when going to public places with their dogs and to consult their dogs' veterinarians if symptoms are observed.

This is a big deal and very serious. Last July over 500 dogs were put down and adoptions suspended at the PBC facility in an effort to quell a canine influenza outbreak and due to a lack of space for incoming animals. They don't want to euthanize any of the dogs, according to community programs manager Karen Buchan, but if the dogs get sick, depending on the severity of the illness and the situation, they might have to.

Canine influenza does not affect cats or people.

All dogs are susceptible to the virus which is spread by moisture droplets that are expelled when they cough or sneeze, and it's in their saliva. They can catch it simply by breathing in the vicinity of another contagious dog, by playing with another dog's toy, or through contact with a human who has been around a contagious dog. The virus can remain viable for several days outside a dog's body. Dogs spread the virus for two to five days before they begin to show symptoms and are contagious for about seven days.

About 20 percent of dogs will be contagious but will not show symptoms. Symptoms include a soft, gagging cough for up to a month. About 15 percent will develop a sudden high fever and runny nose which may mean that pneumonia caused by opportunistic bacteria has developed. Dog flu is probably fatal less than 8 percent of the time but much higher numbers die if they develop pneumonia.

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