Important Tips on Preventing Dog Flu

Canine influenza virus, more commonly known as dog flu, can cause unpleasant symptoms that make dogs miserable. In rare cases, dogs can develop life-threatening complications from this contagious illness. Keep the following tips on preventing dog flu in mind to reduce your dog’s risk of becoming ill.

Avoid Other Dogs

Your dog can easily get canine influenza from other dogs when they bark, cough or sneeze. Touching contaminated surfaces that infected dogs have been in contact with also puts your dog at risk. To reduce the risk of dog flu, keep your dog away from other dogs if there’s been a flu outbreak in your area. Keep in mind that your dog’s risk of getting sick is higher in dog daycare and boarding facilities and other places that a lot of dogs go to.

Vaccinate Your Dog

One of the most effective ways of preventing dog flu is having your dog vaccinated against it. Just remember that your dog is at risk of getting sick when you go to the vet’s office if there’s an outbreak in your area. If you have more than one dog or if your dog will be going to a boarding kennel or similar place that has a lot of dogs, being vaccinated might be worth this risk.

Wash Your Hands

You can do your part in preventing dog flu by washing your hands after you’ve been petting or touching other dogs. Since you might not know if those dogs are infected, it’s important to take this precaution to lower your dog’s risk of becoming ill. You should also change your clothes to reduce this risk even more.

Clean Surfaces

Canine influenza lives on surfaces for a couple of days, which puts your dog at risk of getting sick. You can lower the risk of dog flu by disinfecting hard surfaces throughout your home, especially ones that your dog uses, such as dog toys and food dishes.

If your dog ends up showing signs of dog flu, even when you’ve taken precautions, make sure you see your vet. This lowers the risk of complications and ensures proper treatment.