Canine Flu was discovered less than a decade ago at some greyhound racetracks in the US.
The strain of the virus is highly contagious and easily spreads from one dog to another.
It is a big problem in many racing communities in the US because it could put a dog out of the race for up to 4 weeks.
Without mutation, the flu will not transfer into humans in the same way that human influenza is not going to affect dogs.
The dog flu is though to be a mutation of a strain of equine flu.
It is highly contagious to dogs and the condition can last for up to 4 weeks.
During that time, the dog can still be very contagious to other animals.
Any breed can be affected with the condition and since this is a new viral strain, most dogs are not going to have immunity for it.
Is it going to cause death in my dogs? Most probably not; the influenza virus is just like other influenza virus in the world.
The condition itself does not kill, what could potentially be fatal are the secondary infections that a dog can get while their immune system is compromised with the flu.
Younger dogs and older dogs may be more susceptible to complications form the condition.
However, dogs who are immune compromised may also have some problems dealing with the condition.
Do dogs who get the flu become immune to it? There is a chance of immunity, but more often the immunity is only going to last for 2 years.
One of the best things to do to is to keep the dog from getting the virus in the first place.
In one of the forums discussing Weimaraner Obedience Advice many concerned pet owners brought up the issue of dog flu.
Concern was going around especially since Spring was coming at the erratic weather may lower immunity in dogs.
We asked some experts about the condition to find out if there really is need for concern.
Here are some of the things that we found out.
Another thing discussed in Weimaraner Obedience Advice forums was the chance of dogs giving the infection to their owners.
Luckily, there is a very low probability of the this except when a mutation occurs.
The best thing that an owner can do is to make sure that they report an instance of flu to their vets.
A simple phone call might do most of the time, especially when an infection seems mild.
Just keep the vet updated of the dog's condition.