All over the world and especially on the Internet people are wondering if their dogs can get the flu. Just as humans can contract the illness, dogs can get it too. There are several reasons why dogs may begin to cough. Many times, constant sneezing and coughing can be the predecessors of a nose that will not stop running.  These symptoms could be caused by allergies. When the allergen is eliminated, the dog’s symptoms will disappear.

Often people will mistake flu in a dog with kennel cough, but they are not the same medical issue. Bordetella, a bacterium, causes kennel cough, and the condition is easily spread. Typically, canines obtain this illness in shelters and kennels. Cough medicines and antibiotics will usually accelerate a dog’s recovery.
While kennel cough has been around for a very long time, dog flu has just more recently become commonplace. It was first documented in Florida among greyhounds that were used at dog tracks. Symptoms of dog flu include coughing, fever, and in some cases, pneumonia and a runny nose.

Since the dog flu has only been around for a short term, the majority of canines have not been able to build up immunity to the virus responsible for the illness. Normally, animals are born resistant to certain types of medical conditions, but dogs do not have genetic resistance to the flu. Luckily, most canines only get a mild flu and quickly recover within a few days.

The dog flu is spread among dogs in parks, shelters, kennels, and in other areas where dogs come into contact with each other. Pretty much any dog that makes contact with the flu virus will get the illness. Only five percent of those who catch it will get the most severe form of the illness.

A number of canines who have dog flu will not exhibit any symptoms, but for a week, they can be carriers of the virus. No direct contact is needed to spread dog flu. As the condition is present in discharges that come from the respiratory system, the virus is air borne and travels on its own.