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First Swine Flu Case Confirmed in Dogs

A little over a month ago, the news came that family pets were coming down with swine flu (H1N1). Cats and ferrets were catching swine flu from sick owners. Now it looks like dogs are at risk for swine flu, too. A thirteen year old dog in New York was diagnosed with swine flu this month. He was showing signs of having difficulty breathing, so his owner brought him to the vet’s office. Because the owner had recently recovered from swine flu, the veterinarian decided to have the dog tested. Two separate labs — including Iowa State University, where first … Continue reading →

First Swine Flu Case Confirmed in Family Pet

Despite all the worry about swine flu (H1N1) over the last few months, I’ve been confident that four-legged family members were safe from the disease. Until now. Government officials released information on Wednesday, November 11 about a cat from Iowa — thought to be the first confirmed case of swine flu in a feline. The thirteen year old cat exhibited the following symptoms: lethargy, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing. The vet who treated the cat described the symptoms as flu-like. Testing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ames confirmed that … Continue reading →

Updating the Flu Shot

The flu vaccine is new every year. The influenza virus evolves quickly, and the vaccine has to change every year to keep up. This year’s flu shot is getting some attention in the news lately. It seems like the flu shot did well protecting people for the first part of the flu season, but now cases of influenza are on the rise. Why? Because the strains that are very active this year aren’t strains that were covered in the 2008 flu shot. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control say that only about forty percent of the people who got vaccinated … Continue reading →

The Ferret at the Faire

I was at a Renaissance Faire over the weekend, and spotted a number of participants who travel with their pets. I encountered a few small dogs, a cat, and a ferret — in or near the owner’s booth, enjoying the day. Thumper the ferret was most impressive, I have to say. He first caught my eye when his owner (a maker of leather clothing, costumes, and accessories) was taking him for a walk. He loped along on his little leash and harness, following the sound of the squeaky toy in her hand. And he isn’t her first squeaky-trained ferret. A … Continue reading →