Can Your Pet Get Swine?

Ever since rats were identified as the vermin that spread the plague throughout 14th-century Europe, animal lovers have fended off charges that indoor pets expose families to filth, parasites, diseases and worse. However, since an Iowa housecat and two Nebraska ferrets recently contracted H1N1 from their owners, the roles of vector and victim may be redefined—especially because there have been no reports of pet-to-owner transmission.

Most illnesses and infections are not species hoppers: You can’t give a calico a cold or even seasonal flu to a saluki. Unlike other common viruses, H1N1 has the ability attach to receptor cells in each species’ respiratory tract. So, livestock, poultry, ferrets, cats, dogs and, of course, pot-bellied pigs are all susceptible. Despite its name, the 2009 strain has yet to be diagnosed in pigs, and the origin of this year’s swine flu outbreak remains unknown.

While the thought of H1N1 infecting animals may panic pet owners, it doesn’t surprise to Martha Littlefield, DVM, assistant state veterinarian with the Department of Forestry and Agriculture. “[H1N1 in animals] been around for a while,” she explains calmly, “but people are just now talking about it because of media coverage.”

No documented cases of H1N1 in Louisiana pets have been reported, but that doesn’t mean the state’s animals are immune—only that definitive diagnostic tests have yet to identify the virus as the cause of an illness. Still, veterinarians throughout the state remain cautious and vigilant.

Based on confirmed cat and ferret cases, the symptoms of H1N1 in pets are typical of any respiratory illness: lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, runny nose and/or eyes, sneezing, coughing or changes or difficulty in breathing.

“The way veterinary medicine works, “ Littlefield explains, “is when you see a sick animal, you look at the signs and symptoms and rule out illnesses. In dogs, for example, there are certainly plenty of other illnesses that cause coughing that come from nose-to-nose contact such as canine influenza [H3N8] and kennel cough. The symptoms could even indicate heartworms, allergies or upper respiratory infection. Just like in people, the first test is for Type A influenza, and [if it comes back positive], then test for H1N1.”

The recommended treatment regimen for pets and people alike begins with supportive care and sufficient fluids.

Because the occurrence of H1N1 in pets has been rare, the severity and long-term effects of swine flu in pets has yet to be determined. While the infected cat recovered fully from a bout with the disease, one of the ferrets succumbed.

Furthermore, there is no H1N1 vaccine for animals. So, while not every pet exposed to H1N1 will become clinically ill, the best course for owners is to prevent a pet’s exposure. Dr. Littlefield and the American Veterinary Medical Association recommend:

• Becoming very vigilant about your pets’ health and proactively looking for changes that might indicate a problem.

• Consulting a veterinarian immediately if pets show any signs of illness.

• Limiting contact with pets—and other people—until after you have been free of fever and symptoms for 24 hours.

• Mentioning your family’s experience with swine flu to the vet as part of the pet’s medical history—particularly if animals require treatment for respiratory illness.

• Washing your hands before and after touching animals.

Click here for this week’s Creature Feature.

Click here for this week’s City Lynx.