More canine influenza cases reported in the Twin Cities
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The Twin Cities area is seeing an outbreak of canine influenza for the first time since 2018, according to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
The Board first reported the outbreak earlier this month when four cases were identified at an Animal Humane Society shelter. Now, the board has identified four more cases which do not appear to be connected to the shelter cases.
New advice released Wednesday tells dog owners in the Twin Cities to keep their pets distanced from unfamiliar dogs. This means considering avoiding dog parks and interactions with other dogs on walks.
“When we meet dogs outside of our household when we're out on walks, and that kind of uncontrolled contact with dogs … we don't know their history or we don't know how they're feeling,” said Board of Animal Health senior veterinarian Veronica Bartsch.
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Bartsch said that walks are still safe, as long as dogs are kept six feet away from other dogs. Places like dog trainers, day cares and groomers are safe, too, as it’s easier to clean, monitor for symptoms and trace which dogs have been in contact with each other.
The Board of Animal Health is also recommending that dog day cares, shelters and kennels take extra precautions, like screening incoming animals for upper respiratory symptoms, increasing cleaning frequency and immediately isolating any sick dogs.
What should I do if my dog has flu symptoms?
Any symptomatic dogs should be kept at home for a full 30 days. Symptoms include a cough, fever, runny nose and lethargy.
“We know that dogs can continue to infect other dogs with dog flu — even after they've seemed like they've completely recovered — for a full 30 days after they got sick. So just because a dog looks like it's feeling better, it doesn't mean we're out of the woods,” Bartsch said.
Quarantined dogs should stay inside the house and in yards to ensure they don’t come into contact with any other dogs.
Several areas around the U.S. saw increases in canine influenza this year.
Canine influenza is usually mild, but it can be more severe and sometimes cause pneumonia.
“This isn't something that we want folks to take lightly. However, this isn't something to panic about either,” Bartsch said. “We need to just be smart and keep any sick dogs home. Still please go take your dogs for walks… just try to keep distance between dogs.”