Dog flu outbreak halts out-of-state transports at Delaware animal shelters

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Animal shelters throughout Delaware are grappling with a canine influenza outbreak, which has prompted the state to suspend out-of-state transports, intakes and adoptions for 30 days.

The state veterinarian’s control order comes after the Office of Animal Welfare alerted the Department of Agriculture of the rise in respiratory disease.

“This outbreak is going on amongst dogs in several shelters throughout the state of Delaware,” said Karen Lopez, the state of Delaware veterinarian. She and other veterinarians took proactive measures to investigate the issue, she said, exploring potential causes and identifying different strains affecting the animals.

“Some initial results we got back indicated that a pathogen called mycoplasma cynos was part of the problem, but we’ve gotten some additional information back that we have two different strains of canine influenza as well as adenovirus that are affecting some of the dogs and making them very sick with kennel cough,” she said, referring to the more common name for canine infectious respiratory disease complex.

For Delaware’s affected dog population, the illness has shown a severe impact, resulting in the deaths of two dogs.

“Those results that some of the dogs have influenza and adenovirus is consistent with a more serious illness,” she said. “Some of the dogs have developed pneumonia and there have even been two dogs that have died or have been euthanized at our emergency clinics in the area.”

One shelter significantly affected by the outbreak is Humane Animal Partners, which operates three locations in Wilmington, Christiana and Rehoboth.

HAP CEO Patrick Carroll said its Wilmington location is significantly affected. The first dog became ill during the second weekend of July.

“We ended up sending him to Blue Pearl emergency because of that and then he just declined. He had pneumonia after the chest X-ray, very bad pneumonia, not hopeful in any way, so we had to let him go,” he said. “Then we just kept getting more and more dogs getting sick.”

To date, approximately 30 infected dogs are being treated in the facility.

“[We’re] isolating them, but then they have supportive care which can be [giving them] fluids, some antibiotics to help with the potential of other illnesses,” he explained. “Then if they get to the point where they need a nebulizer, some of our vet techs are using a nebulizer on them as well.”

While the outbreak remains confined to shelter facilities, state officials say it’s crucial to recognize that the disease is contagious and could potentially spread to other public and larger spots such as boarding facilities, grooming salons, doggy daycares and dog parks.

Pet owners should be vigilant for signs of illness related to the outbreak, which may include lethargy, loss of appetite, nasal discharge and difficulty breathing.

“We do have kennel cough vaccines, we have adenovirus vaccines, we have a canine influenza vaccine, so [we encourage] people to talk to their veterinarians about how appropriate those vaccines are for their dogs and make sure that they’re on time for boosters, which may be every one year or every tree years depending on the formulation of the vaccine,” state vet Lopez advised.

The halt in out-of-state transports comes at a time when many Delaware Valley animal shelters are grappling with overcrowding. ACCT Philly, Philadelphia’s only open-intake animal shelter, is currently paying people to foster cats and dogs as a way to free up desperately needed space.

In Delaware, veterinarians on the front lines and caregivers in shelters are encouraging community members to support and assist these animals by calling their location to inquire about their needs, as resources are limited.

Those interested in helping area shelters may make monetary or supply donations or foster an animal to help organizations accommodate the strain on their limited shelter space.