With the country in the middle of what wellness experts have knight a triple scourge of contagious sickness this wintertime — coronavirus , flu , and RSV — it ’s well-situated to forget that PET can get sick , too . AsThe New York Timespoints out , dogsare spreading more than holiday cheer .
Across the South , a number of frankfurter has been infected with H3N2 , a strain of flu unique to cuspid . The virus cause fever , red ink of appetite , and a cough . While not normally serious , in a small percentage of dogs the illness may fine-tune to pneumonia .
What sparked the irruption ? expert think it ’s due to dogs co - mingling again after a prospicient stretch spend home with their possessor during the coronavirus pandemic . As humans take back to in - billet work and travel , dogs are being boarded in doghouse or favored Clarence Day cares ; shelter that once adopted dogs out to people looking for a home companion during lockdowns are fill up again .
A stay - at - home dog can be vulnerable , too , if they socialize with other dogs at firedog parks or get exposed during a stumble to the groomer .
Accordingto the American Kennel Club , the transmission can be transmitted when bounder are near an septic brute , through partake in food and piss bowls , and via contaminated items like crate . Almost all dogs will become infect once divulge , and just about 80 percent will have symptoms . It takes two to three weeks for dogs to recover .
Fortunately , H3N2 is n’t able to be transmitted to humans . But that may be of trivial comfort to pet owner who do n’t want to see a furry ally fall ill . There is a canine grippe vaccine available that covers both H3N2 and another strain , H3N8 . Pet owners should hash out the vaccinum with their veterinarian to ascertain if their dog ’s socialize warrants vaccination .
[ h / tThe New York Times ]
