Can I give my dog the flu?
This is a question that we often get from sitter and owners who work with Rover. Help the community out by answering them in our forum!
5 Answers
Good question! Generally, no - the flu virus doesn't jump from species to species. Animals will contract the Type A virus, and humans contract Types B and C. That being said, depending on the flu strain, the virus can mutate. Even with a mutated virus, dogs have a slim chance of catching the flu from humans.
Comments
You need to read the CDC website. Humans typically get influenza a and b
No., humans get influenza b and c. A is for animals (unless it mutates).
I'm pretty certain the flu virus cannot be contracted by dogs
Nope! You and you're pooch are safe
Although there are several zoonotic disease humans can transmit to dogs and vice versa, Flu is not one of them. Dogs get viruses from each other. But a cat can catch cold or flu from you.
Most illnesses like colds are species specific, meaning you cannot give to your dog and your dog cannot give to you - or a cat. However, remember that a lot of times colds in humans are gotten because of a sudden change in temperature or environment, and this is the same for dogs. So both you and your dog could have a cold because of this!
However, you CAN carry in viruses or parasites from the outside in to your dogs environment which can cause them to get sick. This is why it is so important to have your pets fully vaccinated and on flea/tick/heartworm preventative!
Comments
Human to canine (and vice-versa) transmission flu viruses isn't impossible, but highly unlikely. Animal to human flu transmission happens when the virus and jumps species - typically from birds or pigs. However, there's NO scientific evidence to support sudden temperature changes causing colds.