Dog Flu Could Be Affecting Your Pup

After this year's scare of swine flu, or H1N1 flu, comes word a new flu is going around, though this one will affect your dog, not you. And luckily there is now a new vaccine.

Dog flu, or H3N3, is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus referred to as a "canine influenza virus." This is a disease of dogs, not of humans according to the CDC . The virus, scientists believe, jumped from horses to dogs at least five years ago, but it has never infected a human.

If your dog is affected, symptoms of this illness in dogs are cough, runny nose and fever. A small proportion of dogs can develop severe disease. The disease can be especially bad in dogs with pushed-in noses , like breeds such as Pekingese, Pug or Shi-Tzu.

The virus has been found in at least 30 states and is hitting hardest in places where dogs live close together such as shelters, pet stores and kennels.

Last year in the Chicago area there was a spike in the number of dogs exhibiting these symptoms. Ira Alter's 4-year-old yellow Labrador, Buddy, was one of these dogs, and was diagnosed with dog flu. "He just looked like he was a sick pup," said Alter to The Chicago Tribune . "I've never seen him like that."

But now there is good news for dogs and their owners. Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture announced that it had approved the first vaccine for the H3N3 dog flu.

According to a pet Web site , the new vaccine, produced by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, is given by injection of two doses, two to four weeks apart. It may be given to dogs six weeks and older.