We go to the dog park, she is boarding with 6 other dogs and we do agility competitions. So are we at risk? It seems like it can easily be transmitted and can make dogs quite sick. There is a vaccine available now for dogs that are around a lot of other dogs. But is this necessary or a way for them to make money?
Apparently lots of cases around Chicago and Cincinnati.
Yes, you should be concerned and careful with your dog. I live in Chicago, where the flu has recently returned. Last year, I stopped taking my dog to the dog park and kept him away from most other dogs we met on the street, unless I knew them and their owners well. I have neighbors who volunteer at both a local shelter as well as the city's main facility. There were very stringent procedures in effect during the last outbreak, when many dogs died. At the shelter, where dogs have either individual or shared suites, someone would swab them out with disinfectant regularly and when the dogs were taken out for walks, a bucket and mop followed them. The virus can live even on surfaces for more than a day, so it is highly communicable.
As for getting the flu shot, we were just at the vet for a regular checkup and were told not to bother. If you see the symptoms, it is treatable and the shot doesn't not guarantee anything.
Since you are a sitter, I would specifically question the habits of any potential boarders and whether they go to dogparks or other daycare facilities. During the last outbreak, many of the daycare centers just closed down for the duration. You need to know if you are bringing in a dog that will put yours at risk. Hopefully the owners will be honest and conscientious.
Most importantly, you should ask your vet.
A quick additional note - last year, when I was just starting out as a Rover sitter, several of my clients chose Rover over a traditional boarding facility BECAUSE they were hoping to avoid exposure to canine flu. I board only one guest at a time and my (very old) dogs don't go to dog parks at all.
I found this helpful link about canine flu for those in the Seattle area. http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/ehs/~/media/health/publichealth/documents/petbusinesses/Canine-Influenza-Virus-FAQ.ashx (http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservi...)
I don't really have an answer, but I did see something on the news recently about the dog flu coming around (I live in WI). If I had my dog around other dogs, or went to a dog park, I would get the dog flu vaccine, just to be safe.
Just this week, my late night drop-in clients' dogs both came down with the canine flu from a recent visit to a kennel. She works in healthcare and had surgical gloves for me to use during the visit, and I scrubbed my hands and washed my clothes when I got home later. I don't want to spread this!