Canine influenza: What is it, what it’s not and what you should do
By Gina Spadafori
November 18, 2009
This morning one of the pet-insurance companies — not the one that advertises here, please note– sent out a fear-mongering bulletin on Canine Influenza that was really little more than a sales pitch to sign up for insurance.
I am a big believer in pet health insurance (even more after I got the very nice check for McKenzie’s recent malady), but fear-mongering? Not cool, dudes.
Especially with everyone already in a near freak-out over anything having to do with any flu, as the excellent science reporter Edie Lau writes for the VIN News Service:
Had the new canine influenza vaccine come out in ordinary times, veterinarians may have had little trouble deciding whether, when and to which owners’ dogs to offer the shot. Clients might easily have grasped that the shot is appropriate for dogs that congregate in places such as boarding kennels and shows, but not necessary for stay-at-home pets.
But times are not ordinary.
With a human pandemic flu in full swing and fresh evidence that the virus in people has passed to pet ferrets and a house cat, flu viruses of all varieties are stoking high anxiety. That’s translated into unusual — some say unwarranted — public interest in the dog flu shot and a heightened sensitivity among clinicians on the subject.
The canine influenza vaccine is not a “core” vaccine, but rather a “lifestyle” immunization, to be used only under certain conditions. Since its release, practitioners have been puzzling over just what conditions warrant it. For instance, they wonder, is it appropriate for a boarding kennel to require the shot in a region where canine influenza is not known to be circulating?
She goes on to write about who should be considering the vaccine for their pets, and why people looking at boarding over the holidays may not feel they have a choice but to vaccinate, since some kennel owners are mandating it:
[University of Florida researcher Dr. Cynda] Crawford [who discovered the virus] said she understands both veterinarian and kennel-owner perspectives on the issue. “As a veterinarian, I would prefer that policies like that be made on evidence,” she said. “At the same time, I have seen a few boarding establishments here in Florida just wiped off the face of the Earth financially (after an influenza outbreak).”
Like boarding establishments, [veterinary] clinics may have an interest in playing it safe, Crawford added. “Now (that) there’s a vaccine, what is your liability if you don’t tell clients about it?” she said. “If I do not tell clients whose dogs are socially active in the community, and they go out and get canine flu, they may come back and say, ‘Why didn’t you tell me there was a vaccine?’ ”
[Dr. Steven] Barta, a Michigan practitioner wondering how to broadcast the availability of the vaccine without inciting panic, ended up preparing a short letter for clients on the subject. It reads in part:
“This vaccine does not prevent the disease but it lessens the severity of the disease. After careful consideration and research we feel that this is an important vaccine to be given to any dogs that fall into the following categories:
- Kenneled dogs or those that visit doggie day care
- Frequent visits to the groomer
- Dogs that play at dog parks
- Out-of-state travelers
“In essence, dogs that receive the Bordetella vaccine are also candidates for the Canine Influenza Vaccine.”
The letter apparently met his goal of being informative without causing a panic. Two and a half weeks after he sent it out, Barta said the demand was “surprisingly low.”
Canine influenza originally was discovered among racing greyhounds in Florida in 2004. Before that, dogs were not known to be susceptible to the flu. The flu subtype, H3N8, evolved from a virus that infects horses.
Crawford said the virus has since reached 29 states and the District of Columbia, with urban areas in Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida particularly hit hard.
Read the rest here. And read Christie’s earlier blog post — from August, please note — here.
I have a dog who was a victim of canine influenza. He got it a massive dog show in Houston as 6- or 7-month-old puppy, probably from dogs brought in from Florida. The Texas A&M vet school didn’t realize what they were dealing with at first, so Woody might have been the first case in Texas — a dubious honor, to be sure. He survived thanks to A&M and is a robust, healthy dog now. Because my dogs do go to places with lots of other dogs, I will be vaccinating them. I do not, however, vaccination them for “kennel cough” because in healthy dogs it’s a minor, self-limiting disease.
But you need to look at the risk/benefit equation for yourself, talk to your veterinarian and make your own decisions — based on science, not fear.
Image: Damn, that’s a good-looking dog! Smart and hard-working, too.
We were at the vet just yesterday. My vet (who I love) told me about the vaccine then said that since I’m not currently offering classes and don’t take my dogs to dog parks - there was no point in giving it to them.
Comment by Janeen — November 18, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
This is a great reminder. I’m going to ask my vet if the vaccine is available here… neither the regular seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu vaccines for people is…
Comment by EmilyS — November 18, 2009 @ 5:37 pm
I got into THAT on facebook. Not pet-related, but … My risk assessment says, HELL YEAH I want the H1N1 vax. I’m in a high-risk group, thanks to severe asthma.
But … my brother almost died in 2001 from a regular seasonal flu vax. ICU for six weeks, and had to learn to walk again. His choice: No bloody way.
They’re both legitimate choices, in my book. And so is an EDUCATED choice to vax or not vax for Canine Influenza.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 18, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
I also gotta say: I sent that picture to Orvis, entered in their cover photo contest for their dog catalog (with a $500 gift card!).
Instead, they chose some dorky puppies. Woody is so much more of a cover boy. Anyone can see that!
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 18, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
Woody looks like a proper farm dog.
You can tell he’s an intense, thinking dog.
Comment by retrieverman — November 18, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
I thought a lot about this and decided (with my vet of course) to get Kasey vaccinated. We’ve been invited to participate in an obedience drill team and doing demos at Pet Expos and the like. So many other dogs and dog smells to sniff. I just felt better about it. And he, for one, has shown no adverse reactions (so far, cross fingers).
He is “due” for his other vaccines this month…still thinking about that one.
Comment by Original Lori — November 19, 2009 @ 6:43 am
Gina…glad your brother recovered..sounds like GBS? (hubby is neurologist) I agree with educated choice with flu shots…nothing is without risk but the benefit must outweigh the risk (as with anything I guess!)
My 2 goldens starting sneezing, were very snotty and were really really “tired”..and my niece had said her Aussie (who visits on fridays) was like that the prior week—and then my younger golden’s littermate, who is here two days a week got it too…My vet and I don’t know if it was the H3N8 or not but seeing how fast it went thru the 4 of them-wow…sure is scary if it had been a worse illness…
Comment by Carol V — November 19, 2009 @ 7:15 am
Yes, it was Guillain-Barré Syndrome with cascading diabetic neuropathy. (He’s a juvenile onset diabetic, likely born that way but diagnosed at 2!)
He had last rights, even. Pretty damn scary stuff. He’s OK now, thank God.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 19, 2009 @ 9:06 am
Gina, I don’t understand why you’re a proponent of pet insurance. I just looked up what the highest level of coverage would cost with VPI for one of my dogs: $61/month, or $732/year. Okay, sounds pretty reasonable. So, then I looked up what the benefit would’ve been for her recent vet stay: Gastric Foreign Object(s) - Medical - $620. So, they would’ve covered $620 of a $3000 vet bill. That doesn’t seem like a good deal to me, but people like yourself seem to be pleased with pet insurance. So, what am I missing??
I have five dogs and two cats, and I am reluctant to spend $318/month (I got a quick quote on all of them)on pet insurance that doesn’t cover my pets to the extent I need when I really need it. So far, I simply have a veterinary savings account because I’d rather pay the $318 to myself and let it collect interest than pay it to an insurance company that isn’t going to cover things at an acceptable level. I’d love to get your input on this. From where I sit, pet insurance doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Comment by Sherron — November 19, 2009 @ 10:47 am
You have to look at all the companies and choose what’s best for you and for each of your pets. My preference in insurance (with the exception of my own health insurance) has been towards lower-cost, higher-deduction catastrophic care plans. (I might even lean that way for my own health-care insurance, if my monthly Rx costs for asthma weren’t so incredibly expensive.)
I figure I can always beg, borrow or charge the deductible — and sometimes even just plain old pay it from the savings account.
And that’s what I have for McKenzie. The annual deductible is high by my choice ($500 … I would choose $1,000 or more if it were offered) but the payout after is 90 percent of actual costs. This was her first claim, so from $1,100, I got $427 back. Next time within the calendar year, I will get 90 percent of everything back, since the deductible is covered (up to plan limits, of course, $10K in the plan I chose). And yes, I’m hoping we don’t need to be putting in any other claims — I’d rather NOT have a sick pet.
It’s not a VPI plan — it’s Embrace. I like both companies, know the folks in each well, and have also known other people who like and recommend still others in the industry. But Embrace offered more of what I PERSONALLY wanted in a pet-health insurance plan. My thinking and preference: I can budget for routine care and save for the deductible and co-pays. What I CANNOT afford is care that runs into the thousands … and cancer treatment can well do that. I live in a region (California) where veterinary prices are higher than in many others, and I also choose to patronize a veterinary hospital with the very highest levels of care available — including access to a full range of in-house board-certified specialists. These PERSONAL choices do not make some plans a good complement to the care I prefer to provide my pets.
Your mileage will certainly vary. The service from both companies has been excellent. But the structure of the plans and the benefits are very different, and I chose what worked for ME. It’s important to look at them all, consider what you want in terms of your personal beliefs in this area and then decide.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — November 19, 2009 @ 11:05 am
Thanks, Gina. I appreciate the info. It looks like the Embrace policy is more what I’m looking for. I didn’t even know anything about them before today. So much for thinking that I’m “wasting time” reading blogs! :-)
Comment by Sherron — November 19, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
I just read on Dogster where dogs have tested positive for Swine Flu in China. Ummmm…….figured the dogs would get it also.
Comment by Snoopys Friend — November 30, 2009 @ 3:16 pm