Drove by the local pharmacy this past week and saw the banners out for people to come in and get their flu shot. I kid you not, right as I was passing by my dog sneezed. It got me to wondering…do dogs get sick? I know they do…I mean, we have talked about serious illnesses and maladies that can afflict our favorite friends, but what I’m talking about today is more akin to the notion of the everyday cold and, well, the flu. And if they can get sick, can they get sick from us and vice versa?
So I got home and I went to my trusty google search engine and I googled this. And sure enough up pops hit on dog flu. There is a contagious illness that causes respiratory system problems in dogs called H3N8. And the good news is that there is also an immunization shot that you can get from your local vet.
How do dogs get this “flu”? Well, it is passed from canine to canine. You’ll notice that your dog begins to have a runny nose, a cough, and will probably be more tired than usual…not wanting to play or anything like that.
So what should you do if you suspect your dog has come down with the flu? You need to take your dog in as soon as possible to the vet and have it checked out. This will be the safest and most caring thing to do. These flus can be just as debilitating to dogs as they are to humans. So keep an eye out this season.
For the full article read here: Dog Care: Can Your Dog Catch the Flu?
