A rapidly spreading dog flu is causing Fulton and DeKalb county animal services to open a temporary shelter to house and protect pets that have not been exposed to the virus.
The “highly contagious” virus is similar to kennel cough but moves more quickly from dog to dog and is spreading across the U.S., according to Lifeline Animal Project. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, labored breathing, lethargy and decreased appetite.
Pet owners should keep dogs exhibiting signs of the virus isolated for 28 days, a Lifeline statements said.
LifeLine manages animal services for Fulton and DeKalb where its shelters have been overcapacity for more than a year. On Christmas Eve, about 300 dogs had symptoms for canine influenza virus type H3N2 and it has since spread to more canines, Chief Marketing Officer Heather Friedman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Sick dogs at Lifeline are being quarantined until at least Jan. 21. Dogs usually recover with antibiotics but in some cases they develop pneumonia and the flu could be fatal.
The virus originated in birds before being transmitted to dogs and there have been reports of the canine virus infecting cats, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states.
Friedman said that Lifeline, which has three shelters, is close to confirming another location that will open this week for emergency intake of pets that do not have the dog flu.
“Outfitting a shelter in a week is going to be a huge undertaking,” Friedman said. “On the heels of a difficult year with overcrowding, it was difficult to start the year with so many animals in need.”
LifeLine’s three shelters are remaining open, Friedman said. The Community Animal Center is open for adoptions and clinic appointments, the organization said, “with all (departments) remaining separated to avoid cross-contamination of staff, visitors and animals.”
Because pets typically recover from the virus within three weeks, dogs experiencing the flu can be adopted into homes where there are no other pets, Freidman said.
Lifeline says there are nearly 3,000 pets in shelters and foster care. That includes about 1,000 dogs inside the shelters.
For more information visit lifelineanimal.org.
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