Fairfax Veterinary Clinic to Begin Offering Canine Influenza Vaccine

FAIRFAX, Calif., Jan. 29, 2018 -- The Fairfax Veterinary Clinic, located in the town of Fairfax in Marin County, California, has announced that they will begin offering vaccinations against canine influenza, or “dog flu”, in response to the recent outbreak of dog flu reported in the South San Francisco Bay Area and now making its way north. 

Clinic owner and veterinarian Aaron Wentzell, DVM, said, “With this outbreak now at our doorstep, we feel like it is only appropriate to offer the vaccine to our canine patients.  The protection offered by the vaccine is especially important for social dogs - those that interact with other dogs or are out in public frequently - and for populations especially at risk for complications of flu- including geriatric patients or patients with other concurrent medical problems.” 

Dog Flu was first reported in the United States in racing Greyhounds in Florida in 2004.  Since that time, there have been multiple outbreaks up and down the East Coast and in the Midwest, but no major outbreaks in California until early 2018.  During the second week of January, there were just a few suspect cases reported in the area of San Jose.  By January 12, several of those had been confirmed to be infected with the H3N2 strain of Canine Influenza.  And as of this writing, there have been over 100 confirmed cases of dog flu, with at least one now confirmed in the city of San Francisco.  

Much like the flu in people, dog flu has “high morbidity and low mortality”, which is to say that it is highly contagious, but most dogs make a full recovery with appropriate supportive care.  Symptoms of infection include fever, lethargy, and coughing.  According to Wentzell, people who suspect their dog may be infected should call their family veterinarian for advice, and make efforts to quarantine their dog to help minimize the spread of dog flu to other susceptible animals.

More information is available on the Fairfax Veterinary Clinic’s website at https://fairfaxvet.com/canine-influenza.html or on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s page https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/Reference/Pages/Canine-Influenza-Backgrounder.aspx

The Fairfax Veterinary Clinic is a full-service veterinary hospital offering wellness care for all companion animals, as well as comprehensive diagnostic, medical, and surgical care.  The clinic is located at 2084 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, in Fairfax, CA.  To schedule an appointment for your dog to receive his or her flu shot, or to schedule a consultation with a veterinarian about dog flu, call the Fairfax Veterinary Clinic at 415-454-8204 or email [email protected].