Dog flu changes business practices at boarders and groomers

MGN Online
MGN Online(WKYT)
Published: Aug. 30, 2018 at 4:51 PM PDT
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Last February,

was nearly void of dogs. Instead, a deep cleaning was going on as the owner tried to break the chain of

infection.

It meant a loss of business, and some staffers were laid off. The center opened two weeks later, and the owner still believes he did the right thing.

“When people, when we get sick as humans we start to feel bad. We know something is going on. A dog can't tell us that and so they were contagious for several days prior to showing symptoms. So they were out infecting everybody and that is what made it so bad,” says Jack Owens, owner of A Doggie’s Dream Daycare.

Owens says he's taking reservations for the fast-approaching three-day weekend. But there and in most boarding facilities, signs are posted that dogs must be vaccinated against canine influenza.

Local groomers and even veterinarians are all like-minded and require the vaccination for their clients.

“Depending upon the situation, if they are going to be here for a prolonged period of time would require it," says Dr. Ren Johnson, a veterinarian with Fairgrounds Animal Hospital.

Dr. Johnson says in February the virus was new to the area, and impacted a lot of dogs and their owners.

The recent virus is a mutation of another influenza virus which caused an outbreak in 2004. Johnson says it could mutate again. And the vaccine would reflect that.

The shot is given in a series of two, and then one shot is recommended every year. It's best to keep up-to-date on the shot, as the virus could change and you might not know about it.