Your Dog Can Catch Kennel Cough at the Dog Park

Recently, a rash of kennel cough infections have spread to many dogs in my local dog park. Take care when bringing your dog to the dog park and keep your eyes open for any dogs with a hacking cough.

Also, bring your own water for your dog. Try not to let your pet drink from the water bowls spread throughout the park. When dogs drink from the water bowls in the dog park, they can contract kennel cough from other infected dogs.

Read more about kennel cough symptoms, what to look for, and how kennel cough is treated.

Think About Getting Your Dog the Flu Shot

Many people don’t realize that dog can get the flu virus, just like humans. Canine influenza is extremely contagious, especially if your dog attends doggy day care or visits dog parks.

According to veterinarian, Cynda Crawford, dogs spread the flu to each other in the same way that children in kindergarten do. If your dog is in contact with other dogs, you might want to consider vaccinating him against the flu.

The dog flu virus was identified in 2004 when a research team found that it originated from horses. The majority of dogs have a natural immunity to canine influenza but they are still at risk of contracting the virus.

If you travel with your dog, getting a flu shot can help protect him from infected dogs. 

Symptoms are very similar to the flu symptom that people experience.

• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Cough
• Pneumonia, resulting in death for some dogs

Ask your veterinarian if your dog should get the flu vaccine. The shot minimizes the symptoms of the flu and is available for dogs 6-weeks old and over. The flu vaccine is given with two injections, up to one month apart.

Consult your vet about the canine influenza vaccine to protect your dog from symptoms.

Resources:

Dog Fancy: A Flu Shot for Fido?, May 2012

Photo By Sonia Sevilla (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons