Dog flu season in Bay Area, owners should make sure pets are vaccinated
TAMPA, Fla. - The Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center recently saw an increase in respiratory infections in dogs at the shelter.
"Coughing, sneezing, as well as a little bit of lethargy, things like that, we do see that this time of year, it’s completely normal, dogs, just like humans, go through a flu season too. Change in weather, things moving around a lot, it happens and it's completely fine," said Chelsea Waldeck from the Pet Resource Center in Hillsborough County.
The shelter is encouraging pet owners to limit dog to dog contact over the coming weeks.
Amid dog flu cases on the rise in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County issued a warning earlier this week about canine distemper at Fort De Soto Park, a highly contagious virus that’s potentially deadly for dogs that aren’t vaccinated.
"Distemper is a completely different virus for canines, it may start off with very similar symptoms though," said Waldeck. "If left untreated, distemper advances a lot further, you’re going to get head tilt, circling, paralysis, seizures, ultimately distemper does lead to death."
The Pet Resource Center wants to remind pet owners across our region to make sure their dogs are up-to-date with their vaccines.
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The shelter itself is open, and you’re still able to adopt, you’ll just be sent home with some prescriptions to make sure the dog is healthy.
For more information on the Pet Resource Center, click here.