We're just going to see this in waves over and over again.
Canine influenza is really the new kid on the block for vets to consider in the differential diagnosis for kennel cough.
Despite the rumors on the Internet and elsewhere, this disease is not as deadly as some have made it seem. We don't have all the answers yet, but we are looking at a mortality rate on the order of 5 to 8 percent of dogs that become infected.
It's not dangerous to the vast majority of dogs, just like flu infection of people is not dangerous to the large majority of people.
This is a newly emerging pathogen in the dog population. We have been able to accumulate a lot of information on this canine virus in a short period of time.
Dog owners who have dogs with a respiratory infection should keep their dogs at home. As far as the average dog owner, they should continue to walk their dog on the street.
In the grand scheme of things, it seems low. But if it's your dog, you don't care. You don't take solace in that.
