LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) – It’s flu season and it’s not just people who are advised to get the flu shot, but also our furry friends to keep them safe from the canine flu.
Kathryn Carlson, the owner of the Village Park Animal Hospital, says dogs can get really sick from canine flu.
“It actually turns into pneumonia,” she said.
The pneumonia can go undetected and eventually land a dog in the emergency room.
The Los Angeles Veterinary Public Health recently reported the largest outbreak of canine flu with 10 cases.
Because of this, veterinarians across the Coachella Valley are seeing more and more people giving their dogs the flu vaccine.
“The most important thing to know is that there is a vaccine that will prevent this from happening,” said Carlson.
In the past few weeks, the Village Park Animal Hospital in La Quinta, California, has discovered three cases.
The canine flu test usually costs around $ 200, but Carlson says it is important to know when a dog has the flu.
“It’s really more serious when we see these outbreaks because you can surely think that it’s something as small as kennel cough and it can be something a lot more complicated,” she said.
If your dog is not yet immune to the flu, it is recommended that you keep your pet away from certain situations.
“One of the ways they catch this flu or a kennel cough situation is in situations like dog parks or boarding houses, care facilities,” said Carlson. “You really have to be careful where you take your dog these days.”
If your dog does get the flu, it should be isolated from other dogs to prevent it from spreading.
“You should be quarantined if your dog has been around another dog who has had the flu,” Carlson said.
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