LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Metro Animal Services, Jefferson Animal Hospital, and several other vets and kennels across the Metro said they haven't seen any cases of a new, unknown virus giving dogs flu-like symptoms.
"Such as fever, sneezing, coughing. Sometimes, [it] can lead to pneumonia. But luckily, at this moment, I don't know of any local cases and we definitely don't have any here at the clinic that I work at," said Dr. Brenna Roth at Goshen Animal Clinic.
Roth has been there seven years, with a career in vet medicine spanning over twenty. She shared a few things to look for if you're worried about your pet.
"A lot of times it'll start with them not wanting to eat, lethargy, respiratory signs," she said.
The risk of infection is greater for dogs in other states where more are contagious. In Oregon, their Department of Agriculture documented over 200 cases of the illness. The Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at Oregon State University said it's killed dogs, but it's hard to tell how many since there's no way to test for the disease.
Dr. Roth recommended keeping dogs separated to prevent the sickness from spreading. That's complicated for folks who need to put their dogs up for the holiday.
Over at The Highland Dog, a boarding kennel, they're completely booked for Thanksgiving and Christmas. But taking their usual precautions means the dogs can separate well.
Each furry family gets their own room and they regularly rotate through the backyard. Owner Judie Lawson wants to keep them safe.
"We do require that every dog has his rabies, his bordetella, and his distemper," she said. "They are required to have those to come board here. We also recommend the flu shot. We don't necessarily require it, but we do recommend it."
Vaccinations can help your dog stay safe as the virus goes around. Dr. Roth said there was a shortage of some of those vaccines, but they're back now.
For now, Dr. Roth's recommendation is to "be cautious, but not panic."
Goshen Animal Clinic currently has kittens up for adoption. There's also a Christmas tree where patrons can 'adopt' an animal in need to support them.
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