What to Know About Canine Influenza

To our knowledge, there have been no confirmed cases of Canine Influenza (CI) from Sonoma County to date.

More information about CI can be found on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s website. 

Shelter Status

• At Sonoma County Animal Services, we have no confirmed cases of CI.
• We are not currently inoculating our entire shelter population, but are immunizing certain animals with a higher risk of contracting the virus should they come in contact with it (i.e. younger, older, medically compromised dogs).
• Should dogs present symptoms of CI, we would test the symptomatic dog for CI, isolate symptomatic animals from the rest of the shelter population and proceed with an appropriate course of treatment.
• Should CI emerge in our area or at our shelter, we would consider immunizing our shelter population against this virus.
• Care and concern for the health and well-being of our entire shelter population remains the focus of our work and basis for decision-making
• We are communicating regularly with our partner shelters about our respective status with respect to CI and are committed to keeping each other informed.

Our Recommendation

• We recommend talking to your veterinarian about the best course of action for caring for your pet with respect to CI.
• NOTE: If your dog is coughing or exhibiting respiratory symptoms, discuss this with your veterinarian and make sure you let them know your dog is coughing before you bring it to their facility.