Election Results. First Alert Weather Blog. Dress For The Weather. On Your Side. Acts of Kindness. Building a Better RVA. National Sports. Community Calendar. About Us. Contact Us. NBC12 Jobs. Local Steals and Deals.
Latest Newscasts. Investigate TV. Gray DC Bureau. Closings and Delays. Dismiss Closings Alerts Bar. Joseph and Van Buren. Repellents used on humans are not approved for use on pets, cautioned Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The state of Massachusetts, which has also been experiencing a recent outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness — and like Michigan, has three confirmed human deaths this year — listed a number of precautionary measures pet owners can take to help prevent EEE in dogs on its website.
Those measures include:. The state also listed a number of signs that dog owners can watch out for, including: fever, depression, loss of appetite, weakness, uncoordinated movement, head pressing, circling, convulsions, irritability or blindness.
The rare disease cannot be transmitted from animal to animal; only by mosquito. It should not be a concern for cat owners, Wineland said. If a dog were to get the disease, Wineland said, she could not say the likelihood it would kill the animal. Those who own horses are heavily encouraged to obtain an EEE vaccination for their horse if they have not already done so, she said. Concerns have prompted the state government to offer help spraying pesticides to any of the 11 affected counties.
Michigan health officials offer pesticide treatment to counties affected by mosquito-borne virus. Dog flu can spread through direct contact, like dogs nuzzling each other, through the air from a cough or sneeze, from contaminated objects like dog bowls and from human touch.
Romine said the germs don't last in an area forever, but they can survive on human hands for 12 hours, on clothes for 24 hours and a dog bowl for 48 hours.
CeCe said dog flu, like the human flu, is highly contagious. A dog's cough can make the virus airborne up to 20 feet. The virus tends to travel quickly in areas where a high number of dogs congregate, including kennels, dog parks, breeding facilities and dog shows. There have not been any cases of dog flu in shelters, but there is a plan in place to handle a situation if it should arise, CeCe said. Romine said a dog is contagious two to eight days after it contracts the illness, and the cough can last 10 to 21 days.
The H3N2 is a relatively new strain, appearing for the first time in As such dogs have not developed a natural immunity and all are vulnerable to it. Younger and older dogs, and dogs with other health issues, tend to be even more vulnerable, CeCe said. Because the virus is so contagious, BluePearl Veterinary Partners recommends pet owners call their primary veterinarian or emergency veterinary hospital instead of taking the dog straight there.
This could help keep dogs in the waiting room from getting sick, as a veterinarian or technician may choose to meet the owner and dog in the building's parking lot. To be vaccinated for both strains of dog flu H3N2 and H3N8 , the dog can receive a two-shot series.
It gets one shot, waits two to three weeks, then gets the second one, CeCe said. She said it is important to keep the pets from areas with a high concentration of other dogs, like dog parks, until they get vaccinated. CeCe said dog owners should call their vet to make sure they have the vaccine, and then set an appointment to go in.
0コメント