Dog Flu: Symptoms and how to keep your dog away from it
You thought that if you have a dog he will never get sick because he’s used to the outside weather?
Dogs do get sick and if you don’t act fast when you notice your dog being sick, the problem can escalate and you might find yourself in the situation when your dog’s life is threatened by it.
One of the most alarming sicknesses for dogs is actually dog flu. In medical terms this is known as the H3N8 influenza virus and it’s very dangerous for man’s best friend. This disease is said to originate from horses and that only in recent times it has been passed on to dogs.
Even though this is a virus that can be easily transmitted, you will never have to worry about your health or the health of your family if you dog is sick. You cannot get dog flu as it’s specific for animals only. But you need to take action fast when you realize your dog is suffering from it, because if you don’t you might end up losing your dog.
Checkout The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health And solve your Dogs First Aid Problems
The first signs of the dog’s flue are really easy to detect so you don’t have to worry about things in this regard. Detecting dog flu Dog flu is a type of sickness that’s associated with the respiratory system of your dog and the H3N8 virus is the one responsible for causing it.
Actually there are also 2 types of this sickness and the first one is deemed to be the light one and the second one, which is far worse is considered severe. What makes it even worse is that pneumonia will also appear at this stage.
If your dog is affected by the first form then he will have a moist cough which lasts usually from ten to thirty days. Many people who have this cough mistake it for a kennel cough, so that is why you will need to take your dog to the vet in order to let him assess what’s wrong with him.
But if your dog is struggling with the second type of flu then he will have a lot of difficulty just breathing. Their body temperature is also high and it’s ranging from one hundred and four degrees to one hundred and six degrees Fahrenheit.
The H3N8 virus is a new virus and every dog without exception who will come in contact with the virus will be infected by it and dog flu will be the result of this. However it’s fortunate the in most cases dogs will be affected by the mild form of the virus, so dog owners should not feel that worried.
Protecting and treating your dogs The only and the best way of making sure that your dog will never be let in on dog flue is to be careful and not let him come in contact with dogs that have been infected by the virus. If you cannot do this and you notice that your dog is acting strangely and has the disease’s symptoms you will need to take him to the vet as soon as possible.
Like any virus out there that attacks the immune system the only way to keep a wall against it is to enhance your pet’s immune system. The vet will thus give your pet antiviral medication to do that, but this medication is said to be effective only in the young stages of the infection.
Dogs that suffer from the severe form will have their survival chances lowered, but they can still have the temperature brought down with baths. It seems that scientists are still studying this new virus that’s causing havoc in the world of dogs.
It’s in nineteen ninety nine that this dog flu has been intercepted and ever since then, dog owners were warned to be very careful with the dogs their pet comes in contact with. As such if you have a dog and you want to make sure he will never be infected with this virus, always be careful on the place you let him run free in and bring him to the vet periodically. It’s your best bet at keeping him healthy!
