On Wednesday, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health issued dog owner, care facility, and veterinarian guidelines.
Minnesota officials have updated guidelines for dog owners, care facilities, and veterinarians as canine influenza cases rise. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health issued updated disease-prevention guidelines Wednesday. After 200 dogs were sick, the board quarantined a Hennepin, Anoka, and Washington County animal shelter earlier this month. Four more cases of the sickness were reported since then. Officials say the Twin Cities community increased.
Dog owners are now required to keep their pets away from other dogs, especially those that have gone to a dog boarding facility within the past week. Sick dogs should stay indoors and avoid dog parks where dogs mingle uncontrollably. Sick canines should wash their hands and change their clothes before handling other pets because canine influenza can spread through surfaces.
Symptomatic dogs should avoid daycares, kennels, and shelters for one month. Sanitation, disinfection, and play group organization are recommended by the guidelines. Veterinarians should submit canine influenza test findings to the Board and recommend quarantining infected pets for 30 days.
Dr. Veronica Bartsch, the senior veterinarian in charge of companion animals at the Board of Veterinarians and Animal Hospitals, stated that the cost of testing for canine influenza is a barrier for many dog owners. Additionally, there is a discrepancy between the number of sick dogs being reported by veterinarians at their clinics and the number of confirmed positive results. The frequency of positive outcomes appears to be lower than the incidence of sick dogs being reported at veterinary clinics. The AVMA has recommended that veterinarians continue to provide treatment and guidance to patients with canine influenza, as a precautionary measure, in cases where a dog displays symptoms but the owner chooses not to conduct a test or if the test results are negative. In cases where a dog displays symptoms, the owner may choose to forego testing or the test results may yield a negative outcome. The recommendation put forth by the Board is to administer vaccination for canine influenza.