Texoma pet owners on alert for dog flu

Canines are at risk for dog flu, but it hasn't reached Texoma yet. (KTEN)

SHERMAN, Texas -- As flu season hits the two-legged crowd awfully hard, a strain of dog flu also making the rounds in North Texas.

A Dallas veterinarian said he has seen about a half-dozen cases this season, but there's no evidence that the canine illness has reached the KTEN viewing area yet.

But Dr. Ken Lawrence of Texoma Veterinary Hospital in Sherman said pet owners should be on the lookout for symptoms.

"It can be ... a real mild case, and you just think your dog has a little cold, kind of like kennel cough," he said. "It can be self-limiting, it can resolve on itself, but there are a small number of dogs that get a severe case that been reported. Some of them can die as little as six hours after showing first clinical signs."

Keep in mind, this is not the same flu that humans get; Lawrence said they are two totally different viruses. And while there are preventative flu shots available for pets, it may not be worth the expense or effort.

"The flu shot in the dog, they don't make the claim whatsoever that it prevents the flu, but it is reported to decrease the symptoms," Lawrence said, adding that he doesn't think Texoma pets are at risk just yet.

"If it gets to be where we start seeing it, then we would start recommending vaccination," he said, even though -- like the human flu shot -- it's not always effective.

The only real way to prevent the dog flu is to keep your canine away from crowded areas, as the bug is highly contagious.

"Dog parks, dog shows, boarding facilities, those type of things," Lawrence said. "Any time they're sick and coughing, if it's real mild could be allergies or something...  but if they are acting sick, they're off their food, they're lethargic and have a cough or a nasal discharge any time, they ought to be checked."

Again, there haven't been any reported cases of dog flu in Grayson County that we know of, but if you're traveling with your dog, be sure to keep an eye out for any symptoms.

"It makes you think," said Sherman dog owner Jon Mulherin. "Makes you a little more aware to watch your dogs and make sure they're doing OK."