VLA COMMENT:  I remember this flu outbreak in dogs caught my eye in 2004.  I got the hit then that there was some experimentation going on…and the racing greyhound track was a perfect place to experiment.  That is my opinion…another pharmaceutical experimentation.  Now we have the flu vaccine for dogs.  Perhaps it will come to a point where you can’t get your dog into an animal hospital without he/she getting a flu shot first, like they are doing with humans.

For dogs to get the influenza shot, they have to be at least 6 weeks old. Most veterinarians will suggest the two-shot vaccine be given three weeks apart. The booster shot should be administered once a year for maximum efficiency.

Propaganda “Most dogs who have the vaccination will not experience any negative effects, Arlington Animal Hospital wrote. If there is an adverse reaction, small-breed dogs are the most at risk for a side effect. The most common is fatigue. Other possible symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress, facial swelling, pale gums and pain at the injection site. There is a chance a dog could go into an anaphylactic event, which would need immediate medical attention.

(EXCERPT) Natural distribution (notice the recent dates)

A Parvovirus outbreak in Queensland, Australia, has killed dozens of dogs since September 2014. Pictured: A dog in Chicago, United States, wears a protective mask.

The first recognized outbreak of H3N8 canine influenza occurred in racing greyhounds in January 2004 at a track in Florida. From June to August of 2004, outbreaks of respiratory disease were reported at 14 tracks in 6 states (Florida, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Kansas). Between January and May of 2005, outbreaks occurred at 20 tracks in 11 states (Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts). Since then, the H3N8 canine influenza has been documented in 40 states and Washington, DC. The H3N8 strain of canine influenza virus is endemic in areas of Colorado, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

The first recognized U.S. outbreak of H3N2 canine influenza occurred in 2015, starting in Chicago and spreading to otherr Midwestern states. Since March 2015, outbreaks have occurred in a number of areas throughout the U.S. and more than 2,000 dogs have been confirmed positive for the H3N2 virus. READ MORE…