As of yet, the dog flu has not been officially diagnosed at the CAS, and we certainly hope it stays that way, but, with dogs moving so freely from state to state, it is possible that the CAS will see an outbreak. Currently New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado are considered enzootic for the virus. This means that, in these states, there have been actual outbreaks where significant numbers of dogs were affected. So far, knock-on-wood, South Carolina has only seen a few positive cases.

Like the Swine Flu in people, CIV causes respiratory signs with fever, runny nose, and coughing. However, these viruses are not closely related and crossover from dogs to people has never been reported with the dog flu. Also, just like with the Swine Flu, it takes more than just the flu to make a dog deathly ill. A normal, healthy dog with CIV will look like a dog with kennel cough, although his fever may be higher and he may have more coughing. However, a dog who is weak or kept in an unclean or crowded environment could get secondary bacterial and viral infections that could lead to a deadly pneumonia.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given a 'conditional license' to a vaccination for CIV. According to the USDA conditional licenses can be issued 'in the event of an emergency situation, limited market or other special circumstances. In this case the special circumstance was the emergence of a new virus for which there were no existing licensed veterinary vaccines.' During the yearlong conditional license period, the product's performance and safety record will be closely monitored.

Meanwhile, who should be receiving this vaccination? Definitely greyhound kennels should be using it. The virus was first discovered in greyhounds at a track in Florida where it killed about one third of the infected dogs. Definitely shelters and kennels in the enzootic states should be using the vaccine. But, what about your pet? We already give so many vaccinations to dogs. Is another one really warranted as part of the core vaccination protocol?

The CIV vaccination does not claim to prevent disease, it simply lessens the severity of the symptoms. Additionally, it shortens the duration of the coughing and viral shedding. This is really important for shelters and kennels, where spread of infection can be dramatically reduced if dogs aren't contagious for as long.

Currently, veterinarians are recommending this vaccination for pets only if they are considered to be in a high-risk category. This would include dogs who travel to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida and Colorado and especially if these dogs intend to stay in kennels or go to dog parks in these states. It might include dogs who spend a lot of time in group situations like kennels, groomers, dog shows, agility competitions etc. You should also consider it if your pet has underlying diseases of the heart or lungs that might make him or her more likely to get really sick from a respiratory virus.

A lot of veterinarians are being conservative with this vaccine and are waiting until it has full licensure or until there are reports of the virus in our area before they offer it routinely. It will probably show up at the shelters first, so we will be watching the results of the ASPCA study closely. Ultimately, it is up to you and your veterinarian to decide if your pet is a good candidate for the vaccination so be sure to ask him or her about it at your next visit.

(Dr. Katherine A. Saenger, DVM, owns Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital and Boarding Kennel (www.beesferry.com) and is a former board member of the Charleston Animal Society.)