Dog flu is increasing in SLO County, vets say. Here’s how to keep your pet safe
It’s flu season in San Luis Obispo County, but not just for humans.
Veterinarians say several cases of canine influenza — more commonly known as dog flu — have been reported in the area, concerning local pet owners.
“Between the doctors here we’ve seen about two dozen (cases),” Dr. Michael Ramos, a veterinarian at El Camino Veterinary Hospital in Atasacadero, told The Tribune on Oct. 12. “It’s definitely unusual.”
The county hasn’t seen any official cases of canine influenza since the last statewide outbreak in 2016.
While the current number of dog flu cases in San Luis Obispo County is higher than usual, it hasn’t reached true outbreak levels yet.
Dr. Bonnie Markoff at Animal Care Clinic in San Luis Obispo said dog flu is more common in metropolitan areas.
“We’ve had a small, maybe, outbreak here in North County and San Luis, and it really hasn’t spread well,” Markoff said, “probably because we’re too rural of a community.”
Still, Ramos said dog owners should be on the lookout for the highly contagious illness.
“It’s highly transmissible,” he said. “We actually had a case here where the dog only went and stayed about 12 hours at this boarding facility where there was a new outbreak. And that dog actually tested positive when she came home to her family.”
Dr. Joel Conn, who co-owns Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic and PETS Hospital in Orcutt, said his offices have so far not seen any cases of canine influenza this year. The last time the clinics had a case was during the 2016 outbreak, he said.
Conn noted that he recently received a report from the California Veterinary Medical Association alerting vets to five confirmed cases of canine influenza in San Luis Obispo County.
In September, there was only one confirmed case, he said.
“It really isn’t (an issue) yet,” Conn told The Tribune on Oct. 10. “I think the key here is not to panic. ... When we did have, you know, more of a concerning outbreak many years ago, it ended up not being a huge ordeal.”
Canine influenza vs. human flu
Canine influenza is actually not related to the flu humans can get, but its symptoms are similar: coughing, sneezing, loss or decreased appetite, diarrhea and lethargy with a high fever.
The dog disease is spread via droplets or aerosols from coughing, barking and sneezing, though it can also be spread indirectly through objects or people that have been in contact with infected dogs.
It’s most common in group dog settings, such as dog parks, kennels and boarding facilities.
Both Conn and Ramos said canine influenza is easily spread, with between 80% and 90% of dogs exposed to the flu developing symptoms, they said.
Dog flu carries with it a higher risk of more severe illness than something like kennel cough, Conn said, which is common but rarely fatal in full-grown, healthy dogs.
A small number of dogs who contract canine influenza may end up dying from complications of the illness.
Of the cases the veterinarians at El Camino have been treating so far, Ramos said, none have died, though the vets were notified of a death at a neighboring vet clinic due to dog flu.
Canine influenza is not transmissible from dogs to humans, so you don’t need to worry about your furry friend getting you sick.
Conn said cats don’t normally get dog flu either, though there is a small chance they can catch the illness.
Should you vaccinate your dog?
Here’s some more good news: Canine influenza is also usually easily avoided with vaccination.
Ramos said there are two vaccines used to prevent dog flu. His practice recommends using the bivalent version, which protects against both strains of the influenza making the rounds.
Before you rush Fido to the vet, the three veterinarians said it’s important to consider your dog’s lifestyle and whether it actually needs the vaccine.
“So if you have really social dogs who are around a lot of other dogs, we recommend vaccination,” Markoff said.
Ramos said they ask dog owners a series of questions to gauge whether the vaccination is appropriate.
“The first thing we hear is, ‘Should my dog get the vaccine?’” Ramos said. “And we follow that up with, ‘Well, what does your dog do, you know, lifestyle-wise? Do they go to the beach, or do they go to a dog park, or do they go to our groomers or do they go to boarding?’ If they do any of those things, or even they’re on the trails daily and are nose-to-nose with another dog on the hiking trail ... then we recommend vaccinating the dogs.”
Conn said dogs that are largely homebound are not likely to need the vaccine for now, though if canine influenza develops into a local outbreak, vets could start recommending the vaccine for all dogs.
“We haven’t quite reached that threshold yet, although we may get to that point,” he said.
In the meantime, Ramos recommended people to stay on the alert for symptoms in their canine pals, and make sure to quarantine their animals if they show any potential signs of the flu.
After a dog is exposed to canine influenza, it could take up to 14 days before he or she starts to show symptoms, Ramos said, adding that the first dog could still spread the virus to another pooch for up to 20 days after first showing symptoms.
“It’s a big responsibility to ask owners like, ‘Hey, I know your dog was coughing, sneezing — please don’t take them out anywhere for almost a month,’” Ramos said. “But we want to be responsible to each other, for sure.”
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