Dogs, Cats Can Get Swine Flu, Too

Dec. 23, 2009— -- A dog in suburban New York City is the first in the nation confirmed to be carrying the same strain of swine flu that is infecting humans, experts told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The 13-year-old mixed breed male, which is recovering, apparently caught the virus from his owner. But Michael San Filippo, a spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association, said there's no evidence that the flu strain can be transmitted from a pet to a person.

"In theory it could happen, but so far it's really looking like a dead end in pets," he said.

Dr. Anne Schuchat of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that animals can carry and spread flu viruses, but such cases are rare and people should not be afraid to enjoy their pets.

The dog, suffering breathing problems, was taken to the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, N.Y., on Dec. 13.

The medical director there, David Sachs, said he had the dog tested for swine flu because its owner previously had the virus. The practice would not identify the owner or give the dog's name.

The dog came in for a checkup Tuesday and is "getting back to his old self" but has not fully recovered, said veterinarian Julie Steffens.

The announcement of a dog with swine flu comes a little more than a month after an unidentified male cat in Iowa was believed to be the first feline in the nation diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. In that case, a 13-year-old, mixed-breed cat showed the symptoms of lethargy, sneezing and coughing typical to sick cats.

The cat was brought to Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, where on Nov. 4 it was confirmed it had the H1N1 virus.