"Jack "The Unpalatable Barbarian" Morrison"
wrote in message
...
Okay, one more time.

Has anyone here actually observed this "illness," or do you know
anyone who actually has?

I would sincerely appreciate hearing more about it.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/dogflu.asp

Not seen any dogs with it or heard first person accounts of dogs with it.

However, I have talked with several people who have called Cornell Vet
School and asked for information. (These are mostly people with training
facilities who want to not only have the information for themselves and
their students but also to avoid having their training sites become transfer
points. Very bad for business.)

They have all gotten the same information - pretty much what snopes had to
say. Cornell says that it is real and they have seen cases in central NYS.
The suggested treatment is the one mentioned by snopes - early antibiotics.
Not that they will help with the flu but to avoid the secondary infections,
which appear to be the real problem. Their information is that with early
antibiotics, for almost all dogs, it's not a big deal.

The 1% - 5% fatality rate is about what I have heard both from the Cornell
information and from the schnauzer groups. They have indicated that no dogs
will have any natural immunity to it so any exposure will mean they get it
in some form. Obviously, like with human flu, it's more serious for the
very young and the very old and those with weakened immune systems.

They suggest not delaying getting your dog to the vet if he develops a
cough - and especially if there is a fever - which indicates increased
likelihood that it is the flu. Sort of like the same dividing line in
people - colds don't give you a high temperature, influenza does.

So, no. No first hand accounts. But it does appear to be real and
spreading. I've got it a little higher on my radar than the avian flu
threat. But we'll still go to dog class.

~~Judy