COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is currently investigating various strains of canine influenza after a recent outbreak in Minnesota. It’s a virus that’s prompting a warning for pet owners.

What You Need To Know

  • CDC is currently investigation different strains of canine influenza

  • Canine influenza is a highly contagious viral infection that impacts dogs and cats, but not humans

  • Although there are currently no outbreaks in Ohio, there was an outbreak years ago in central Ohio

  • Clear nasal discharge, coughing and fever are some of the symptoms

H3N2 and H3N8, which originated from birds, are currently the two canine influenza strains found in America. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, it’s a highly contagious viral infection that impacts dogs and cats, but not humans. 

“What we know about influenza viruses, though is that they do like to change,” said Dr. Kimberly West, a Health & Harmony Animal Clinic veterinarian. “And so the changing is what I think the CDC is watching right now.”

While West hasn’t seen any animals impacted by these strains this year, she said there was a major outbreak nearly five years ago in central Ohio. 

“It really took a lot of day care facilities and boarding facilities and hit them pretty hard and it was a pretty bad upper respiratory infection that we did see,” said West.

So how do you know if your pet has canine influenza? West said there are a few upper respiratory symptoms to look out for. 

“It’s going to be that clear nasal discharge, coughing, lethargic, fever, not wanting to eat. Just kind of being down in the dumps,” she said.

If your animal is displaying any of these symptoms, make sure to contact your vet. To prevent your pet from getting the virus, West suggests you avoid contact with dead birds and places where there are a lot of animals in one place. 

“If you’re boarding your dog, if your dog is going to go to a high population, just make sure that the place that you’re taking your dog requires vaccines,” she said.

There is currently a canine influenza vaccine and medication available for dogs. But with there currently being no outbreaks in central Ohio, West said there’s really not much to be worried about right now. 

“We’re probably not going to be testing until somebody either from the AVMA or the CDC lets us know that we are really starting to see that these aren’t just spill over events. These are true infections," she said.