Brevard vets, shelters take precaution for dog flu

UF vets see several cases in north, central Florida

PALM BAY, Fla. – Pet professionals across Brevard County have recommended that owners of dogs that socialize with other canines get their pets vaccinated for the current strain of the dog flu, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.

Across north and central Florida, veterinarians for the University of Florida said 21 dogs in their care have tested positive.

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And two dogs have been diagnosed with the flu in Brevard, according to Florida Today. No information was available Friday about where the two dogs in Brevard were diagnosed.

The news about the diagnoses in Brevard led the SPCA of North Brevard in Titusville to vaccinate all of the dogs in its care, spokeswoman Susan Naylor said Thursday. The shelter normally has about 80 dogs. 

"We first heard about the flu in north Florida a few weeks ago," Naylor said. "It's not lethal, but it's very contagious." 

SPCA offered vaccinations for its members for $25.The vaccine involves a pair of shots given across two to three weeks, officials said.

The flu, known as H3N2 CIV, causes a respiratory infection with symptoms including sneezing, nasal discharge, and frequent coughing that can last for two weeks or more, the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine said. Many dogs also have a fever, decreased appetite, and lethargy during the first few days of illness, officials told Florida Today.

In Palm Bay, the owner of Paradise Luxury Dog Resort is requiring its four-legged visitors to have proof of vaccination before being admitted into the cageless boarding facility.  

"We have hundreds of dogs that come here," Paradise owner Heather Carelli said. "We just want to keep everyone safe."

The diagnosis of two dogs at an Orlando shelter led to its announcement Friday that it would halt adoptions at one of its locations until further notice. The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando issued a statement that 29 other dogs were showing symptoms of the flu. 

"We expect all of the dogs to fully recover but treatment will take a few weeks," Pet Alliance officials said in the statement.


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