Dog Obedience Training Blog

Will Vaccines keep your pet from getting the flu?

November 18th, 2009 by Chet

I don’t know about you guys, but when this whole swine flu “epidemic” started to get national attention, I looked at some of the facts and thought, “this really isn’t a big deal”.

The reason I don’t think it’s a big deal is because our bodies create better natural imunity to diseases when we actually get the disease, instead of just getting the vaccine for the disease.

That’s why a lot of older people aren’t getting sick with the flu right now, because the swine flu swept through our nation several decades ago and while a lot of people got sick, all those people are now more imune then a vaccine could ever make them.

And I think it’s the same with dogs… which is why I don’t give my dog the “kennel cough” vaccine before he goes to doggy day care when I board him. Because getting sick is sometimes the best thing for our pets.
Will vaccine keep your pet from getting six as a dog?

By Mark Young

Published: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:14 AM CST

The North Platte Telegraph

You can get vaccinated against influenza, and now Fluffy and Spot can, too – but vets disagree on whether pets should get flu shots.

The three known cases of H1N1 jumping species once again to an Iowa cat and two Nebraska ferrets garnered national attention, but no other known cases have surfaced. Authorities, however, are not in a state of panic over what cannot be controlled due to the lack of vaccinations specifically designed for H1N1 in pets.

The ferrets perished while the cat is said to have fully recovered. The jump does concern authorities, but there is a bigger concern regarding a relatively new virus causing canine influenza that has local veterinarians split on how to proceed, since there is a vaccination for that virus. H3N8 is the virus that sprang up in Florida in 2004 when horsemeat from horses that were infected with the horse flu were fed to some greyhounds.

Dr. Craig Kelly, from Westfield Small Animal Clinic, is among those veterinarians who are not recommending the flu vaccine based on his own research.

“We are simply not seeing this virus at all in the Midwest,” said Kelly. “There have been isolated breakouts in three states and nothing here, so we are not recommending something that is unnecessary at this time. The other reason we are not recommending the vaccine is because the company that manufactures it has told me that it won’t prevent your dog from getting the virus.”

However, Dr. Ron Green from Heartland Animal Center couldn’t disagree more, saying that the Lincoln Diagnostic Center is conducting current testing in Nebraska for canine influenza and is reporting that McCook is a hotbed of the disease.

“We think it’s here already,” said Green. “We haven’t been able to prove that, but we do have some tests pending, which should be back in a few days.”

Kelly said that the vaccine fails to prevent H3N8, a cousin to the horse flu virus, which mutated to adapt to a canine host, He said the vaccine only serves to reduce symptoms, at best.

“I think a lot of people are being caught up in this wave of flu viruses and I don’t want that kind of influence to dictate the decisions people make for their pets,” he said. “It’s an unnecessary financial step, at this point, and there are allergic reactions associated with the vaccine to be concerned about. The risk just isn’t worth the reward.”

Green said he has already begun vaccinations and that, thus far, there hasn’t been any signs of allergic reactions, but admits that the vaccine isn’t perfect.

“It was only developed in May, so it hasn’t had years and years of testing,” said Green. “But it’s all we have and I think it helps. My research shows that the vaccine can significantly reduce the severity of the symptoms while shortening the duration of the illness. It’s not any different from the influenza vaccine that we take in that it will help some people and it won’t help others, but at the very least it is putting important antibodies into the system for protection.”

Green said that canine influenza is much more widespread than a few isolated incidents.

“It’s already hit Colorado, Wyoming and Kansas, so if it’s not already here, then it probably will be at some point,” he said. “It’s like any other type of flu. When it hits, it hits hard.”

Kelly acknowledged the use of caution when it comes to unpredictable viruses, but said common sense is free while the vaccines, which are two doses plus an annual booster, are not.

“If you or your children are sick with any kind of flu virus, don’t blow in your pet’s face, wear a mask and try to minimize contact and the same goes if your pet is sick,” he said. “Just use common sense when it comes to that because at anytime when dealing with a virus, things can change.”

Westfield has three veterinarians in the office and all three share the same consensus in not recommending the flu shots.

“[The virus] is highly contagious, but the mortality rate is very low,” he said. “And the cases that have been reported are extremely isolated. I’ve asked some of the other veterinarians around the area and the ones I’ve talked to agree, but my advice is to ask your veterinarian their opinion and do what feels comfortable for you and your pet.”

Green agreed, saying that about 80 percent of all dogs in our area are susceptible to the virus, but of that 80 percent there is a 5 percent mortality rate.

Nebraska State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes said the state is taking no official stance on whether or not you should vaccinate your dog from H3N8.

“We aren’t taking a position on this,” said Hughes. “It’s not a deadly virus. Concerns about this virus are probably geographically specific. As far as the effectiveness of the vaccine, we really don’t have a position on that either. Practitioners get the same information we receive.”

Either for or against preventative vaccinations, each veterinarian recommends that you discuss the issue thoroughly with your own veterinarian and if your pet, regardless of species, shows typical signs of illness such as difficulty breathing, runny nose, cough and fever, seek treatment through your veterinarian immediately.

Click on this story at nptelegraph.com to post your comments, or e-mail mark. young@nptelegraph.com.