Can Dogs Get the Flu?

You’re cooped up in bed with a pile of tissues and your faithful dog at your side, weathering the flu. But then you wonder: When you sneeze, are you spreading your misery to your dog? Can dogs catch the flu?

The answer is that no matter how much you cuddle, dogs can’t catch the human flu. But dogs can catch something called Canine influenza, or the dog flu. And like their human counterparts, it can leave them in a listless mood, with a runny nose and cough. 

The dog flu doesn’t spread to humans, and that’s a good thing—because they’ll need your support and care to help them recover from Canine influenza, which can last for up to a month. 

Which Dogs are Most At Risk?

The dog flu is easily spread among dogs who are in close contact—boarding in a kennel, playing at a doggie daycare, or making new friends at a dog park. It’s an airborne, respiratory flu that is spread by droplets in the air when a dog coughs. Your dog can also catch it from an infected dog’s bowl, bedding, leash, or toys. If your dog is exposed, the odds that she’ll catch it are high.  The chance of infection is close to 100 percent, as dogs have no built-in immunity to the viruses.

Symptoms to watch for:

• Persistent cough 
• Runny nose (wet nose is normal) 
• Lethargy and low activity level   
• Fever and poor appetite

Caring For Your Sick Pooch  

Your dog should be checked out by your vet, but in most cases, the flu lasts between 15 and 30 days in dogs. Vets recommend that you pamper your pet with the same supportive care you give other family members with the flu: provide plenty of liquids, rest, and medicine if the vet prescribes it. 

Some dogs (usually pups or elderly dogs) can develop a secondary bacterial infection from the flu. The symptoms are a high fever and labored breathing. This may be pneumonia, so your pet needs to be checked out by a vet right away. It’s a serious condition, but thankfully, the dog flu is rarely fatal; less than 10 percent of dogs die from the flu.  Those that do often have a pre-existing health condition. 

There are two types of dog flu, each with different origins:  

1. The first, H3N8, was discovered in greyhounds in 2004 after it jumped species from horses to dogs.   
2. The second, H3N2, is the one most responsible for recent outbreaks. It came from birds and first appeared in a group of sick dogs in Chicago in 2015. This virus can also be spread to cats. 

Ways of preventing the dog flu:  

1. Get your dog a flu vaccine shot, available at the vet, especially for dogs at risk (immune-compromised, young or elderly).
2. Sanitize shared bowls and toys.
3. If there’s an outbreak, keep your dog close for a while—away from dog groups where the virus can spread.  Although winter is the "flu season" for humans, there is no special "flu season" for dogs. Vets recommend that if your dog is in day care or frequently in a kennel, you watch out for symptoms and get her to a vet quickly if the virus strikes.