New Dog Flu

Hi Everybody,

I just read a piece about the new dog flu that’s going around (H3N8) and I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about this new flu or if their vet’s have told them anything about it. There’s a piece in the New York Times about it, as well as an Q&A section.

Do you think this is anything to worry about? Should we consider a vaccine? I’m curious to hear what everyone thinks/feels about this.

Hi Jackie - Thank you for this post. The first time I heard about this new flu is in the post you responded to about Benny’s ear infection. The article and Q&A sections were both very helpful - especially since I have a pug and 2 Japanese Chins - all with a pushed in nose. From what I read my guys do not have contact with other dogs so that is a good thing. As for now, I don’t think I would do the vaccine on them.
What does everyone else think?

Very interesting. I’m not sure at this point that I would give that vaccine to dogs that basically stay at home. Now if I were still showing Shih Tzus, I think I would have my dogs vaccinated against the new flu. At this point, I’d really like to see more information on the symptoms and whether or not this new vaccine winds up causing any problems down the road. I’m not against giving vaccines, and I believe all dogs should have their initial sets of boosters and annual rabies (as dictated by law), but after that I think whether a dog needs annual boosters is up for debate.

Of course, they could wind up including the new vaccine into one of the current combination shots.

You both raise really interesting points. I’ve been wondering about the girls’ shots as well. I keep doing research, but I’m coming up with different numbers. Both of my girls have their shots (and got their booster shots when they were pups), but every time I go to the vet, it seems like they are trying to push a new vaccine on me, and I’ve been skeptical.

Vaccinations really are a hot button topic. Some people think excessive vaccination can lead to other health problems, but it’s difficult to pin down positive proof.

Vets make a lot of money off of vaccinations, so I’m not surprised to hear that some tend to push them at every visit. I was once going to switch to a new vet that moved in a couple blocks from my home. Although all my dogs were already vaccinated, the new clinic refused to see my dog unless I would agree to her being revaccinated by them. Needless to say, I stuck with my old vet across town.

Hi Kelly,

That’s terrible! The things they get away with! What I don’t understand is that most states only require that a dog has a certain number of shots, so how can the vet’s get away with pushing more shots? Do you know who regulates dog vaccines and such? Maybe I can write a letter, or call, or something. I really hate the fact that every time I go, they seem to think up something new to scare me into giving them a shot. I don’t do it, but still.