Dogs Also Need to Get Flu Vaccine
By: Monica Yantosh
Updated: January 28, 2013
A dog, or cat, feeling sick could looks similar to how a person feels when they're sick. Acting sluggish, not eating, or any out of the ordinary behavior, could mean your pet is sick.
To prevent that from happening, it's important to get them a vaccine too.
"Vaccinate your animals, take them to the vet, that's the only prevention," said Shawn Byrd, Supervisor of the Lubbock Animal Shelter.
There is a flu vaccine for dogs, among all the other vaccines you should get for your pets. It will not only keep your dog healthy, but other dogs he or she comes in contact with as well.
"It's very easily transferred from one animal to another,' said Byrd. At the Animal Shelter, there are hand sanitizing stations all over, so that people can wash their hands, and not spread any kind of disease from one dog to another. While humans won't get sick if a dog they touch is sick, those germs can be easily passed to another animal.
"We try to vaccinate as much as we can, but however those vaccines are not cheap," said Byrd. "We are basically a snapshot of the city, whatever is floating around out there in the city, because we pick up animals from all over the city, we're going to see what is out there in the city."
Even if you have an indoor pet, Byrd said it's still important to keep their vaccines up to date."I know people say 'oh my animals never go outside', all it takes it one time, and then they come in here," said Byrd. "Anytime you get a large number of animals in close proximity, you can see these viruses."
When sick animals come in to the shelter, Byrd said they do isolate the sick animals from the healthy ones until they are healthy to make sure they prevent as much spread of disease as possible.
Byrd said there is not a major outbreak of the dog flu here in Lubbock, and hasn't been in recent years. Veterinarian Dr. Robert Faulk told KLBK vaccinating your dogs will be the best prevention, and the more dogs who get the vaccine, the less likely Lubbock will see a major outbreak.
To prevent that from happening, it's important to get them a vaccine too.
"Vaccinate your animals, take them to the vet, that's the only prevention," said Shawn Byrd, Supervisor of the Lubbock Animal Shelter.
There is a flu vaccine for dogs, among all the other vaccines you should get for your pets. It will not only keep your dog healthy, but other dogs he or she comes in contact with as well.
"It's very easily transferred from one animal to another,' said Byrd. At the Animal Shelter, there are hand sanitizing stations all over, so that people can wash their hands, and not spread any kind of disease from one dog to another. While humans won't get sick if a dog they touch is sick, those germs can be easily passed to another animal.
"We try to vaccinate as much as we can, but however those vaccines are not cheap," said Byrd. "We are basically a snapshot of the city, whatever is floating around out there in the city, because we pick up animals from all over the city, we're going to see what is out there in the city."
Even if you have an indoor pet, Byrd said it's still important to keep their vaccines up to date."I know people say 'oh my animals never go outside', all it takes it one time, and then they come in here," said Byrd. "Anytime you get a large number of animals in close proximity, you can see these viruses."
When sick animals come in to the shelter, Byrd said they do isolate the sick animals from the healthy ones until they are healthy to make sure they prevent as much spread of disease as possible.
Byrd said there is not a major outbreak of the dog flu here in Lubbock, and hasn't been in recent years. Veterinarian Dr. Robert Faulk told KLBK vaccinating your dogs will be the best prevention, and the more dogs who get the vaccine, the less likely Lubbock will see a major outbreak.
