Canine influenza, or dog flu, essentially does the same thing it does in people.
"It causes influenza-like symptoms, fever of an unknown origin, respiratory infections and some of them get moderately sick and some get very sick and some can become fatal depending on which strand you get," Central Texas Veterinarian Logan Beene said.
Dog flu has been around for at least 10 years, but it wasn't until April that it reached more than 30 states.
It's only been a matter of months that veterinarians have had a new combination vaccine to keep dogs from catching the virus. Which Been said is a good thing, because dog flu may be closing in on our area.
"I know it's been seen in Austin, certainly San Antonio and Houston it's been seen. We feel there is a high likelihood in our area because of the use of transience in the military," Beene said.
All it takes for your dog to catch it is to breathe in air that an infected dog breathed out.
"Then they will begin coughing and having respiratory symptoms and they'll start looking like the flu and eventually they can have all the same symptoms we can," Beene added.
Which is why Beene said it's important to get your dogs the new, but proven flu vaccine.
"If we can use something to protect them from ever getting sick in the first place then the job is done and everyone saves time money and sickness for their dog," Beene said.
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