Swine Flu (H1N1) in a Cat?

Perhaps you saw the headline a couple days ago: “Pet cat in U.S. catches swine flu.”

I know there’s concern among pet owners as these are some of the questions and comments I’ve heard in the office: “Can my pet get the swine flu H1N1?” “I heard that there was a case of swine flu that was transmitted from sick people to their cat.” “How dangerous is swine flu in pets?” “Is it like the dog flu?”

Our mainstream media will push us into the movie sequel, “One more flu over the cuckoo’s nest.” Okay, I’m having a little fun, but you do need to remember that the flu is a tricky little virus that is a master of disguise. It changes its outer layer of clothing frequently, so it can evade our bodies’ defenses. The game of flu viruses and our defenses is like hackers vs. Norton or MacAfee anti-virus software.

Origins of the Flu Virus

These flu viruses came from areas of the world where humans, cows, pigs, ducks and chickens share a small intimate living area. In high-density livestock areas, 1000s of viruses are spread around in a particular species every day, until one day, one virus “crosses over” to another species. It becomes a problem to humans when it jumps from livestock to humans. As the names suggest, the avian flu and swine flu are the result of flu bugs jumping from birds and pigs, respectively, to humans.

Every now and then, these little flu critters decide they want to live in people instead of pigs or birds. Imagine them talking: “Remember the old days when we had to put up with the stink and crowds? Spreading was easy!” And another bug replies: “Yeah, but it’s harder to spread ourselves around in humans with all their hand washing, masks, disinfectants and vaccines.”

In reality these little viruses embrace the “change is good” philosophy. The more they move, the harder they are to identify and capture. Like international spies, they move within and between species by changing their look and passport. In time, the latest epidemic and pandemic flu viruses will become endemic, which just means they have become permanent infectious diseases in our society, such as the common cold, mumps or pneumonia. These guys do not want to kill anybody or anything because then they die and cannot spread. They really just want us sick enough that we cough and sneeze them on to other living beings, thus continuing the “domino effect.”

But What About Dog Flu?

The dog flu (H3N8) jumped from horses to dogs at a racetrack and is making dogs sick in New York, Virginia, southern Florida, and northern Colorado/southern Wyoming. There is no evidence that the virus can be transferred to people, cats, back to horses or to any other species. Meanwhile, the avian flu is still pecking away at birds and people, but it has slowed down dramatically due to mass vaccination of birds in affected (or to use the fancier term, endemic) areas. The H1N1 swine flu has been classified as a pandemic. It has been transmitted to other species, including people, birds, ferrets and now, as decried in the most recent case, cats. I should warn viruses that think they’ve found the ideal host, however, that they will not like their new cat host so much when they get coughed up in a hairball! These days, with more animals and people in the world, the spread of flu is easier than ever. And flu won’t be going away either, so take appropriate precautions. My book, Dog Dish Diet: Sensible Nutrition for Your Dog’s Health, and The Omega Diet based on the Island of Crete diet by Artemis P. Simopoulos, both advise dogs and dog owners to eat food ingredients with high doses of Omega 3 fats (e.g., olive and canola oil, fish and fish oil, and walnuts ) to keep the immune system tuned up and ready to fight. Bone Appétit!

Tagged as: canine flu, canine health, canine viruses, healthy eating for dogs, Omega 3