OKC Standard

The Oklahoma City Animal Shelter closed to the public this afternoon for the second time this year to keep an upper respiratory infection from spreading through the Shelter and to other dogs in the metro. 

The Shelter’s vet staff started noticing an uptick in coughing and a runny nose among the dog population on Thursday and sent samples to the lab yesterday. About 130 dogs have symptoms. There have been no deaths because of the infection. 

The Shelter vet and staff are developing a plan as they wait for the lab results, but they suspect the canine flu virus, the same virus that closed the Shelter on March 29. Canine influenza is an infectious respiratory disease caused by an influenza A virus, similar to the viral strains that humans get. When the Shelter closed in March, the staff treated the dogs with an antibiotic. 

Animals that are sick, injured, or pose a threat to the community will still be taken in. The Shelter has a population of approximately 400 dogs. 

People who adopted dogs from the Shelter this week should monitor their dogs for upper respiratory-type symptoms such as cough and runny nose. They should seek medical advice from their veterinarian if any of these symptoms develop. 

Residents looking for lost pets can visit okc.gov/animalwelfare. Pets that are at the Shelter can be reclaimed by their owners.  

Background

On March 29, the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter closed to identify and contain a contagious upper respiratory infection that spread through the Shelter’s dog population. Samples were sent to a lab, and they tested positive for both canine flu and strep zoo. Five dogs died due to the infection. The Shelter reopened on May 12.

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Media Contact: Jon Gary (405) 297-3116 jonathan.gary@okc.gov

Original source can be found here.