Dear Pet Parents,
The Canine Influenza Virus (CIV) continues to be of high concern for dogs who continue to socialize in Minnesota. We recently received a statement from the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and they are now advising all owners who have dogs that are of high exposure to other dogs, to be vaccinated for CIV.
The vaccine still remains a non-core vaccine, meaning it is optional to pet owners whether or not they want to vaccinate their dog(s). Daycare/boarding/training facilities may or may not require the vaccine. You will have to reach out to those entities directly for their requirements.
At this time the Canine Influenza vaccine is in very short supply and very difficult to obtain by many veterinary clinics in Minnesota. We, Anderson Lakes Animal Hospital, do not have this vaccine in our clinic, currently. We do have an order requested for the vaccine which covers both H3N8 and H3N2 strains. These are the 2 most prevalent and frequently diagnosed strains of the virus.
We have not been given the release date of our allotted doses and it is unknown how many doses we will get when they are released to us.
*As of June 28, 2023 we have started a first-come, first-serve wait list for current clients who feel they would like to have their dogs vaccinated against Canine Influenza.
Things you should know regarding the vaccine:
The vaccine will not prevent your pet from getting the virus, but will hopefully help minimize the symptoms if they do become infected.
The vaccine does require 2 doses, so a booster 3 weeks after your pet receives the initial vaccine is a MUST or they will not be fully protected.
The vaccine can be given to patients 8 weeks of age and older.
Side effects of the vaccine: vomiting, diarrhea, vocalization during administration due to a stinging sensation, lethargy, and/or swelling at the injection site. It is NOT recommended to vaccinate pregnant dogs at this time.
If you have a dog that routinely goes to dog parks, daycare/boarding, training, or grooming facilities and you would like to be put on the waiting list, please send us an email to: [email protected]
We are asking our clients to please be patient with our staff at this time as we continue to get more information regarding the virus and vaccines. Again, we do not have the release date of our allotment of the vaccine. When it does become available, we will reach out to the clients on our waiting list.
If your dog starts to exhibit signs of CIV, we do recommend your dog to be strictly quarantined to your house and yard for 30 days.
Symptoms include: coughing, eye and nose discharge, lethargy, and lack of appetite following exposure to any other dogs.
At this time we do encourage pet owners to try and stay out of heavy “dog traffic” areas like boarding or daycare, dog parks, daycare, and big social events (parades, carnivals, big organized city walks/events, etc) if able to.
Puppy socialization and training is a very important and a time sensitive part of a puppies life. We do recommend attending puppy classes but advise you to discuss sanitation practices and pertinent information regarding classes with your trainers to see what works best for your puppy's situation.
Thank you,
The Staff of Anderson Lakes Animal Hospital