Cold and flu season is clearly upon us here in the Hudson Valley. Two questions that often come up this time of year are: Do dogs and cats get colds? And are they contagious to humans?
It is not uncommon this time of year to notice your dog or cat with a runny nose and some sneezing. Frequently, when a pet is fighting a cold, you’ll see discharge from the eyes. In a pet with an otherwise healthy immune system, these signs tend to be mild and self-limiting. As for human risk, most people are surprised to hear that pets are more likely to pick up cold and flu viruses from us than we are from them. You may have recently read about the cat who contracted the H1N1 virus from her owners.
Continue reading
