New York Dog Catches Swine Flu

One poor pooch in New York City has been named as the first confirmed canine case of swine flu in the United States.

Cover your puppy’s ears—it’s been reported that the first canine case of the swine flu has been confirmed when a 13-year-old dog was brought into a Westchester County animal hospital on December 13. The dog had been suffering from coughing and fever for several days prior to his hospital visit, but after a couple of days of rest and relaxation (and medication and fluids) the dog appears to be recovering well.

The mixed-breed male dog was tested for H1N1 by two labs after the owner said he had been suffering from the swine flu. While the discovery was somewhat surprising, there have actually been cases of swine flu in cats, so the sad potential for dogs to get it as well was always looming.

There have been a few unconfirmed causes of swine flu in dogs in China, but this is the first time the virus has been detected and confirmed in an American dog.

There is strong evidence that the disease can be transferred from humans to animals, including the virus being already detected  in cats, ferrets, and a few other animals.

Source