Dog Flu Treatment

The dog flu is a virus that acts very similarly to the human or bird flu. Although each strain of the flu is relative to a certain animal, the bird flu does happen to be able to infect humans too. However, this isn’t the case with the dog flu, which only affects dogs and is rarely deadly to them. The dog flu is interesting because it was only discovered about 14 years ago in California. Although the etiology isn’t known, it was first discovered in a group of ill greyhound dogs. Since then, it has started to spread slowly across the country.

In this article we’ll talk about the diagnosis portion of dog flu to help you decide whether or not your dog needs treatment for the dog flu.

The symptoms for the dog flu are a persistent “kennel cough,” which will last anywhere between 10 days to 3 weeks on average. Your dog might also have a runny nose or eyes, but aside from that the symptoms are sparse. You’ll probably be able to tell if your dog has the dog flu because other dogs in your area will have the same symptoms. Generally, a dog adapts within a month and develops the antibodies needed to fight the virus, but other times dogs with weak immune systems might not be able to.

If you think your dog has been exposed or is showing symptoms of the dog flu, then it is time to take him or her to the veterinarian for a test. The vet can test your dog’s blood to see if it has developed the antibodies needed to fight the flu virus. If your dog has the virus, then this test should be able to tell you for certain. Although a dog is generally immune for 2 years after developing the antibodies, if your dog is coughing then he or she probably has the virus and will be immune for 2 years from now.

Once you’ve identified if your dog has the dog flu, then you can start treating it with cold water baths and medication. There is a medication called Tamiflu that is used to treat the virus and help your dog get over the symptoms, which reside mostly in the respiratory system. Once the cough has gone away, then your dog should be feeling much better and is probably near full recovery. Although some dogs don’t recover with medication, in most cases you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

If you have any questions about diagnosing the dog flu or treating the virus, then the best person to talk to is your veterinarian, who is probably very used to dealing with this virus. This is especially the case if it has become prevalent in your area.