First Swine Flu Case Confirmed in Dogs

A little over a month ago, the news came that family pets were coming down with swine flu (H1N1). Cats and ferrets were catching swine flu from sick owners. Now it looks like dogs are at risk for swine flu, too. A thirteen year old dog in New York was diagnosed with swine flu this month. He was showing signs of having difficulty breathing, so his owner brought him to the vet’s office. Because the owner had recently recovered from swine flu, the veterinarian decided to have the dog tested. Two separate labs — including Iowa State University, where first … Continue reading

China Protects Pandas Against Swine Flu

We have evidence here in the United States that both cats and ferrets can catch swine flu (H1N1) from humans. Officials in China are concerned that pandas may also be susceptible to the disease. A panda research center has been closed to visitors in hopes of protecting the endangered pandas from swine flu. The Shaanxi Wild Animal Rescue and Research Center started seeing increased numbers of swine flu cases and flu symptoms in general after the weather turned cold and snowy in November. Now they’ve put a halt on recruiting new volunteers and are not allowing staff members with flu-like … Continue reading