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Category_Dog Knowledge
Health
Can Dogs Get the Flu?
Did you know that over 48 million US households have one or more dogs? For the vast majority of these households, their dogs are part of their family. They get fed high-quality dog food, get to explore giant yards, and some even go to daycare when pet parents are at work!
With dedication like this, it's only natural that seeing our pups under the weather is distressing. If your dog is displaying symptoms common in humans as signs of the flu, you might be wondering, "can dogs get the flu?" Read on to find out!
Can Dogs Get the Flu?
The answer to this question is a bit more complicated than you'd think. If you're wondering whether your cuddle session with Fido while you were working the flu out of your system can cause him to get sick, too, then you can relax. Humans cannot pass along a cold or flu to their beloved pets. That doesn't mean that dogs cannot get the flu, however. Dogs have their own version of the flu called canine influenza. Canine influenza is similar to cases of the flu that humans contract. If you haven't heard of it before, that's because it's a relatively recent development. The American Veterinary Medical Association notes that the first cases of the highly infectious canine influenza virus, H3N8, were reported in 2004 and have continued since that time. In 2015, a new strain of canine influenza, H3N2, was reported in Chicago. Like human influenza strains, canine influenza will likely continue to evolve over time. Symptoms of canine influenza are similar to those that humans experience. Look out for a cough that lasts from 10 to 30 days, fever, and sneezing. You may even notice some discharge from your dog's eyes and nose. If you're concerned that your dog might have canine influenza, you should contact your veterinarian for treatment options. Be careful about taking your sick dog out in public spaces because canine influenza is highly contagious. If you want to be proactive about keeping your dog healthy, talk to your vet about canine flu vaccines for both the H3N8 and H3N2 strains.Can I Catch Something from My Dog?
We know that dogs cannot catch a cold or the flu from their human friends, but can we catch something from them? The good news is that you cannot catch the canine influenza virus from your dog. The bad news is that there are several other things that you can catch from your dog if you're not careful. Diseases that transfer from animals to humans are known as zoonotic diseases. These diseases include salmonellosis, leptospirosis, campylobacter infection, giardia, and cryptosporidium infection. You can also contract parasites like ringworm, roundworms, scabies, and hookworms from your dog. Thankfully, the chances of you actually catching a disease from your pet are pretty low. However, people who are pregnant or who have compromised immune systems should take extra precautions because they're more susceptible to these diseases. The best way to make sure you and your pup stay healthy is regular checkups at the vet!What about COVID-19?
There's a lot of concern out there about the possible transmission of COVID-19 from humans to dogs and from dogs to humans. COVID-19 is a new virus and scientists are still learning about who can catch it and how it can be transmitted. Early research indicates that dogs may become infected with COVID-19, but there have been no cases of dogs (or cats) transmitting SARS-CoV-2 to humans. Be careful, however, if you have cats in your household because research has demonstrated that humans can transmit it to cats and cats can transmit it to other cats. Keep an eye out for more research on transmission as scientists continue to learn more about the virus.![veterinarian](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0141/7137/3626/files/generic_veterinarian_1024x1024.jpg)