I recently got a letter in the mail from my vets office recommending a vaccine for H3N8 or the canine influenza.

In my letter, the vets office is requiring all dogs who stay there to get the vaccine.

A viewer emailed me saying she got a letter from her vet in Jesup as well. According to information I’ve received, symptoms of the canine flu can include a mild cough and fever. In some dogs, it can progress to pneumonia.

Not all dogs are at risk. Dogs that are boarded, showed, hunted, groomed or taken to dog parks are recommended to get the two shot series.

My advice is to talk to your vet. I’ve debated whether or not to get the vaccine for Cubbie. It’s difficult because this time of year he’s really not around other dogs. (We don’t go to the dog park very often this time of year. Partly because it’s colder and partly because it’s dark when I get home from work). He’s also never boarded because if I leave town he stays with my parents.

I’ve asked several people who work in vet offices, and depending who you ask, some say it’s very important to get it and some say if your dog spends most of his time at home, it’s probably not necessary. A lot depends on your dog and where your dog goes.

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