The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is recommending new guidelines for pet owners today amid a growing number of positive canine influenza cases in the Twin Cities.
The board’s Communications Director, Michael Crusan, says concerns from veterinarians in the Twin Cities come from false negative tests for the virus raising the red flag.
“Our offices are getting flooded with calls from veterinarians giving these reports and saying things like, ‘We had a dog with clinical signs,’ or ‘We had a dog with what appears to be a false negative,’” Crusan said. “Because those have increased so much, and based on the few confirmed cases that we have, we’re seeing that it’s likely starting to spread in the community. So that’s why we wanted to put out this additional awareness to make people know what some of those risks are and how they can mitigate them.”
This year’s outbreak began on April 6, and with at least eight cases now confirmed, Crusan urges pet owners to stay vigilant about potential symptoms.
“You are your pet’s best advocate. You are the one that should notice if anything is wrong with your pet,” Crusan said. “If you do notice anything is wrong, please notify your veterinarian right away.”
The board’s recommendations say it is most important to avoid direct dog-to-dog contact outside of your household if you suspect your pet may have contracted the virus.
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