Dog owners warned about spread of canine flu virus

BOSTON – IT’S been a difficult flu season for humans... But also, as it turns out, for dogs.  A new strain of the dog flu virus is proving problematic to control in the western portion of the united states.

The bug hasn’t spread to Massachusetts yet, but local veterinarians are concerned that people traveling with dogs might be exposed.

“Your dog and my dog sniffing each other, [that] could potentially transmit the disease,” veterinarian Virginia Sinnott at Angell Memorial Hospital said. “You'd be surprised how many people travel with their pets. Especially smaller dogs that you can take on the plane with you.”

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Pets travelling to the San Francisco area would land in the center of the epidemic, Sinnott says thousands of dogs are likely infected there.

That outbreak in California is already spreading east, with new cases confirmed in Nevada, Idaho and Utah.

Dog owners do have a line of defense the canine flu vaccine.

“Kind of like the human vaccine it's not perfect,” Sinnott said.

It takes time for an immunity to build up, so owners like Kristen Bartoli got their dogs vaccinated several weeks ago.

>>RELATED: Veterinarians warn pet owners of dog flu

“We go to competitions and we're around dogs from different cities, different towns, different states. So I do get her vaccinated for that reason,” Bartoli said.

But it’s not too late. Getting your pets vaccinated even a few days before a trip is helpful to protect them and keep the virus from spreading.

“Even if it isn't perfect and isn't going to completely prevent the disease, it's going to limit the amount of time the dog is sick,” Sinnott said.

Kennels sometimes offer an a la carte menu of extras for boarding dogs. Doctor Sinnott says with this flu virus out there it's best to choose solo activities such as taking extra walks or having someone read your pet a bedtime story.

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