June 13 , 2008

Volume V, No. 26

Be On the Lookout for Canine Influenza

(contributed by Dr. Colleen O'Keefe, Division Manager Food Safety and Animal Protection, Illinois Department of Agriculture)

The first confirmed cases of canine influenza have been identified in Illinois. Dr. Derrik Landini, owner of Animal Ark Veterinary Clinic in Chicago, recently noticed an increase in the number of upper respiratory infections in dogs that had been boarded, groomed or attended dog day care. These animals were properly vaccinated yet were showing up with moderate to severe upper respiratory signs including severe coughing, lethargy and vomiting phlegm.

At least 50 to 60 dogs have been treated at the clinic in the last three weeks, Landini said. Suspecting canine influenza, he sent six blood samples to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University, which confirmed the presence of the antibodies in five. One sample has yet to be returned. So far, three of the dogs have died, but the condition usually is not fatal and the secondary bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics.

Samples are pending for virus isolation and Dr. Landini has samples held to do paired serum sampling. It is important to reaffirm that the canine influenza virus is present in the pet dog population in Chicago - and it may be present in the other parts of the State as well.

See the Chicago Tribune story on the Canine Influenza cases that appeared online this afternoon.

Overview of Canine Influenza

History: Exposure to other dogs through boarding, grooming, dog day care, dog shows or training classes. Generally the dogs are appropriately vaccinated.

Clinical Signs (from the AVMA website):

· There are two forms:

° mild form which shows up as a mild cough and/or nasal discharge. It may looks like the canine upper respiratory complexes.

° severe form appears with high fever and may or may not have upper respiratory symptoms.

· Both forms appear to be a result of secondary bacterial infections.

Treatment:

· Broad spectrum antibiotics

· Supportive care as required in severe forms

Diagnosis:

· Serology may be done through Cornell University (paired serology with a rising titer would be confirmatory). This is relative new disease so it would be unexpected for dogs to have antibodies present from a previous exposure. Therefore the presence of any titer above 1:16 and clinical disease would be highly suggestive of infection.

· Virus isolation of fresh nasal and pharyngeal swabs (see the Cornell site for sample preparation and submission).

Remember that it the symptoms are similar to kennel cough; so add canine influenza to your differential diagnosis list. It appears that the major symptoms are a response to secondary bacterial infections, so treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics is indicated. This influenza appears to be species specific to dogs. It appears to have mutated from the horse form and there is no indication it can be spread to humans.

Canine Influenza Information and Resources

The above information was taken from the following useful and informative resources available online for veterinarians and pet owners:

· Control of Canine Influenza in Dogs - Questions, Answers and Interim Guidelines (AVMA)

· Fast Facts on Canine Influenza (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)

ISVMA Member Survey - Please Participate

The ISVMA is committed to providing its members with the best service possible.  With that objective in mind, the ISVMA Board of Directors has requested that our members and other veterinary professionals be surveyed. The results will assist in evaluating services and benefits that are, or would be, most valuable to ISVMA members. The results should also spotlight the emerging needs of the varied professionals who comprise the veterinary community in Illinois.  From your feedback, we will be better able to serve ISVMA members and the veterinary profession throughout the state of Illinois.

The survey takes under ten minutes to complete. The ISVMA Home Page has a link to the survey or it can be accessed directly at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=l6u_2fVICwH32DBUDvrWE_2bsQ_3d_3d

Results will be compiled through July 31, 2008. At that time a report will be created and presented to the ISVMA Board of Directors for their review.

Please forward this information to other veterinary professionals that are not currently members of the ISVMA. The more feedback received, the better we will be able to serve the veterinary profession in Illinois.

Membership Renewal Update - Second Notices Mailed

ISVMA membership renewal packets were mailed at the beginning of May. If you have not yet renewed your membership for the 2008-2009 membership year, you will soon be receiving a second notice.

If your practice receives an invoice from the ISVMA for a veterinarian that is no longer employed at your practice, please contact Jill (jill@isvma.org) to let her know and please share any information on where the former employee has moved. If you prefer to call, Jill can be reached at (217) 546-8381 (ext. 25).

Feline Behavior Seminars & Wet Labs

Dr. Rolan and Susan Tripp have become familiar faces at the ISVMA Annual Convention. The overwhelming popularity of their animal behavior lectures and wetlabs have resulted in them being invited back for a fourth consecutive year!

The Tripps will expand their contributions this year by offering to ISVMA convention participants lectures and a wetlab on feline behavior. They will also offer their canine behavior classes and wetlab that have sold out to rave reviews each of the past three years.

The Tripps have followed their hearts into a career helping people develop better relationships with their pets. Their pioneering website focuses on this increasingly important aspect of veterinary practice. The Tripps write “On Good Behavior” for the Pet Connection syndicated newspaper feature.

Dr. Tripp has lectured and presented on animal behavior around the world, and he is an Affiliate Professor of Applied Animal Behavior at both Colorado State University and the University of Wisconsin. He is also the principal veterinary consultant to Petmate, one of the largest manufacturers of pet products in the world.

With a background in teaching, writing and speaking, Susan Tripp shares her husband’s passion for developing create kinder, gentler experiences for pets in veterinary practices and at home. The Tripps owned the La Mirada ( Calif.) Animal Hospital for 10 years, during which she helped to transform the practice by offering community seminars, a volunteer program, puppy kindergarten classes, day care, deluxe boarding and gentle grooming.

Information and registration materials for the 126th ISVMA Annual Convention will be arriving soon. Make sure to mark your calendars for November 7-9, 2008 so that you can attend this great meeting in Lombard, IL!

About the Photo

The strikingly marked Montezuma Quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a bird of Mexican Mountains, reaching the United States only in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas.

This small quail (8-9 inches) has a small round head with slight, rounded crest. It has a round body with a very short tail. The male Montezuma Quail has a bold black-and-white face pattern, black chin, dark chest with many small white spots, and streaks and bars across its back. The female is brown with a muted head pattern similar to the male's.

The Montezuma Quail usually crouches and stays still when danger threatens, and then explodes into flight from a leaping start if the danger comes too close. The secretive nature of the species makes obtaining accurate population estimates difficult. It is hunted in the three states where it occurs.

After years of effort, I finally obtained a nice series of photographs of this elusive bird in the area of Ramsey Canyon, Arizona. This male bird was photographed on May 11, 2008.

Contact Us

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