Canine influenza, also known as dog flu, has been in the news again lately, following a recent report of the virus affecting approximately 50 dogs in the Bay Area of California. This latest occurrence follows a dog flu outbreak that affected over 1000 dogs in the Chicago area in Spring of 2015, an outbreak in early 2016 that affected 80-90 dogs in the Seattle area, and reports from several states in the Southeast US of canine influenza in May 2017.

Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) is a very contagious virus that began in horses and birds before spreading to dogs. Canine influenza is not typically fatal, and with treatment, the dog can recover fully within a week to a month. However in most severe cases (less than 10% of dogs who contract it), CIV can lead to high fever, pneumonia and death. Similar to our previous post on Parvovirus, we have pulled together some facts about canine influenza, how it’s spread, symptoms and treatment.
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