You may have heard that the Canine Influenza Virus has recently spread in the Washington DC metro area. The health and well-being of our four-legged friends is always at the top of our top concern. Here are some information provided by Dogtopia which will be useful for you and your pooch:

What is it?
Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) is a highly contagious respiratory infection in dogs caused by the influenza A subtype H3N8 virus. For all practical purposes, Canine Influenza is a viral variation of kennel cough for which your dog’s Bordetella vaccination offers no defense. Current canine approved antibiotics are also ineffective in treating Canine Influenza; however, this influenza is often accompanied by a secondary bacterial infection for which antibiotics are effective.

Note: CIV is not a human influenza virus. CIV is an adaptation of the Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) which has been in existence for over 40 years. Over time, EIV adapted to canine tissue (first discovered in 2004 in Greyhound populations in FL) and is now passed from dog-to-dog.

Where/How can my dog get it?
Now that CIV is in the DC metro area, your dog is at risk anywhere there are other dogs and/or people who have handled other dogs: pet stores, dog shows, veterinary clinics, daycare and boarding facilities, dog parks, meet-and-greets on your neighborhood walk, etc. The virus is transmitted via oronasal contact with infected dogs, surfaces contaminated with the virus, and inhalation of aerosols generated by canine coughing and sneezing.

CIV can live on a hard surface for up to 48 hours.

CIV can be carried on human skin, clothing, and hair for up to 24 hours, and, as a result, be transmitted to your dog via human contact should that human have been in contact with an infected dog without proper sanitization of themselves.

What are the symptoms?
Research and findings offered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that all dogs exposed to the virus are infected; however, only 80% of the exposed population will have clinical symptoms: the remaining 20% of the population will show no clinical symptoms.  Research has also identified that the originating infectious dogs in a population usually get a more severe case of the influenza, whereas the secondary dogs exhibit symptoms of a much milder form of the virus.

For the 80% of the population exhibiting symptoms, those symptoms are: cough, runny nose, and sometimes a fever — almost identical symptoms to many other canine infections. Many dogs also develop a more severe case of the influenza that can advance to pneumonia rapidly. To date, there is an average 5% mortality rate.

Dogs can exhibit symptoms for up to 30 days post exposure.

How is it diagnosed?
Proper diagnosis is tricky because of the short incubation and contagious periods for this virus.  Once exposed, the incubation period is 2 to 4 days.  Your dog will be contagious to other dogs from the point of exposure through 7 to 10 days post exposure.  By the time your dog exhibits vet-worthy symptoms, your dog is nearing the end of the virus’s life-cycle/contagious stage and, as a result, your vet’s exam/tests will not detect the presence of Canine Influenza. The best  time to perform a nasal swab is during the incubation period and, thus, pre-symptom. There are only 3 veterinary labs in the US that are currently able to identify and verify CIV: (1) Cornell University, (2) Oklahoma State University, and (3) University of Florida. You should validate that your vet has sent your dog’s sample to one of them. Should testing during the contagious period be missed, your vet can take a blood sample from your dog 2 to 3 weeks from probable exposure and send that sample to one of the 3 labs noted above. These labs will be able to validate that your dog has developed antibodies against CIV and, as a result, you and your vet will then know that your dog had CIV.

How is it treated?
For most dogs, CIV just needs to run its course: usually 7 to 10 days. Some dogs will continue to be symptomatic, though not contagious, for up to 30 days. Should your dog develop a high fever, nasal discharge, and/or optical discharge, there may be a secondary bacterial infection that your dog is also fighting. Your vet will be able to diagnose the infection and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

The CDC recommends that your dog be isolated from contact with other dogs for up to 14 days post exposure.

Should you be exposed to a dog with suspected CIV, keep yourself clean. Soap and water will kill the virus as well as any disinfectant cleaner. Change/wash your exposed clothing if possible, or spray yourself down with a disinfectant.

How can it be prevented?
The best way to prevent your dog from getting this virus is to live in a bubble. Outside of that, if your dog engages in social activities with other dogs, s/he is at risk.

When at the dog park and/or out on a neighborhood walk, you should keep your distance from any dogs that are coughing/excessively-sneezing.

There is new CIV vaccination that hit the market in July 2009. There is no data to date as to the effectiveness of the vaccine. This vaccine just became available to local veterinary offices in mass quantity yesterday, Tuesday, August 18th. The initial vaccine is given via injection in 2 doses, each 3 weeks apart, and then requires an annual booster.

Can my dog get it again?
To date, CIV has not mutated. As a result, once your dog is exposed to CIV and his/her body develops antibodies against it, your dog is not at risk to get CIV again. The only way to determine if your dog has developed antibodies against CIV is to have your vet perform a titer test 2 to 3 weeks after probable exposure. Should your dog have developed antibodies against CIV, your dog is protected and the CIV vaccine will not provide your dog with any additional protection.

Where can I learn more information about CIV?
http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets
http://www.avma.org
http://www.sheltervet.org

Calling all pet parents! If you haven’t heard the news, just last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) traced Salmonella contamination to a plant owned by Peanut Corporation of America and placed a recall on Peanut Butter. Peanut butter is a popular ingredient stuffed in pet chew toys and treats. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is advising to temporarily hold off the use of peanut butter products for your pets until further notice.

Young puppies and dogs with health issues and compromised immune system are at a higher risk of getting infected than healthy adult dogs, but it’s better to be safe and discontinue the use regardless of your pet’s age and condition. Some of the symptoms of Salmonella in dogs are vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy, drooling, and panting. If any of these signs are present, owners should contact their veterinarian immediately.

The Salmonella alert is true for everyone, and can be passed on between pets and humans. It can also be deadly if not treated immediately. Please visit the FDA online For a complete list of recalled products related to Salmonella and do check often as the list is regularly udpated. If you ever suspect that your dog may have ingested or has become sick after ingesting a recalled product, please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

We all know Peanut Butter is awesome, but nothing is more awesome than being healthy! So let us all wait patiently and hope that this Salmonella outbreak will all be over soon.

Hello fellow dog lovers. I hope all of you are staying nice and warm during this good old winter season… and so are your dogs!

Depending on where you live, the winter season can mean anything extreme from below zero temperature drops, to very humid conditions. If you live in the East Coast, you are most likely currently experiencing the insanely, teeth-gritting cold weather conditions. Unless you managed to provide yourself a sweet escape and are currently surfing and vacationing with your pooch in sunny Australia, you need to be aware of how cold weather can affect your dogs health, and several other winter hazards to look out for.

Just because dogs have fur coats doesn’t mean that all of them can withstand the cold temperature. Just like us, dogs especially certain ones, are susceptible to cold temperatures. If you have puppies under six months of age, or elderly and arthritic dogs, both can be predominantly sensitive to cold temperatures. Puppies are more sensitive to cold, and as much as possible, don’t let a puppy outside in the winter. It’s more difficult for them to keep their body warm than for adult dogs. Elderly and arthritic dogs suffer because their joints are prone to stiffing which becomes a painful experience for them. Dogs who are suffering from certain diseases concerning the heart and kidney, as well as diabetes should also be kept from the cold because they find it hard to regulate their body temperature. Lastly, dog breeds that have short hair and dogs with short legs should particularly stay out from the snow, because their chests and tummies are more likely to be in contact with the snow. If the need arises, you can always let your dogs wear protective clothing from the cold. Make sure it covers the neck to the top of the tail and protects the belly.

The dogs that I have mentioned can be especially sensitive to the cold weather, but any prolonged exposure to extremely low temperatures can increase your dog’s risk for hypothermia. If you notice that your dog becoming anxious and starts shivering, whining, and moving generally slower than usual in the cold, this might be the early stage of hypothermia and you should make your way home or in a warm area as quickly as possible.

Always remember that dogs are very much like humans. They need not only physical warmth, but emotional as well! The winter time can get depressing, so keep your pets happy this season as much as they like to keep you company. Everyone can make the most out of the winter time by participating in fun winter activities, but make sure you and your dogs are well protected from the cold. ‘Til next time.

Stay toasty!

You may have already heard of this, but I just ran across PetMD.com. I’d love to get the opinion of others on this site. The interface and graphics are nice, but unfortunately the look and feel greatly exceed the functionality. For example, there were only four vets in my zip code and the neighboring zip code didn’t even exist. I looked up diarrhea (as my Jack Russell does indeed have diarrhea) and all I got was a laundry list of diseases that my dog could have – ranging the gambit of stomach flu to conditions I’ve never even heard of. I guess if you’re going to mimic a dynamic service like WebMD.com, you might want to beef up your resources first.

A new service was also launched recently called Webvet.com. Again, the site is slick and contains a lot of information. I had a hard time navigating the many, many links, so I punted and searched for diarrhea. I received a lot of results, but in that same “laundry list of conditions” fashion, it was hard to narrow down what’s wrong with my dog. Webvet.com seemed to have more information than PetMD.com and with a little tweaking to their symptom checker – it could be a great resource.

With that said, all pet owners need to remember – if your pet is sick or hurt, take him/her to your vet. Tools like this are certainly helpful, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Reston, VA (March 27, 2006) – Despite a report of rain, the weather was perfect for the third annual Healthy Hound Dog Walk and Pet Health Fair sponsored by GoodDogz.org. Local dog owners learned about pet health and care at Lake Anne Village Center from exhibitors like Canine Caterers and the Northern Virginia Animal Swim Center. Over 80 walkers participated in the 1-mile dog walk around scenic Lake Anne. Walkers received goodie bags full of treats, toys and fun. The dog walk raised over $1400 that will help GoodDogz.org support homeless dogs.

Pam Ahart of Pet First Aid and Care conducted a demonstration of a “tail to snout” health exam. Ahart enjoyed the event. “What a great day! The Healthy Hound Dog Walk & Pet Health Fair was enjoyed by both the dogs and their owners. It was a great time for the dogs to socialize and the owners learn more about the health conscious pet businesses in their local area. As the Pet First Aid & Care exhibitor, many dog owners expressed how nice the event was and they will be attending next year!”

GoodDogz.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.

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Vienna, VA (June 5, 2005) – A beautiful Memorial Day weekend was home to the 2nd annual Healthy Hound Dog Walk and Adoption event at the Viva Vienna! Festival in downtown Vienna, VA.

The super dog adoption showcased 10 metro DC rescue organizations during the two-day affair. It encouraged the organizations to discuss their efforts, brainstorm ideas and offered them exposure to a much larger audience that they might not normally receive.

As an added Memorial Day bonus, over 50 walkers and their participated in the 2-mile Healthy Hound dog walk through Vienna. The walk was a 1.5 mile hike down the WO&D Trail and through the woodlands of Vienna.  Each walker received a goodie bag full of treats and fun. The event raised over $1000 for GoodDogz.org.

“We’re very excited about the success of the event,” explained Mark Bates, Vice President of GoodDogz.org. “It’s always great when a rescued doggie finds a home.”

GoodDogz.org is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating potential dog owners on dog selection and care and supporting the efforts of rescue groups. We believe that by assisting with good dog-owner matches, we’ll give each family the best opportunity for a life-long relationship with their new dog and help to keep dogs out of shelters.

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