Dog Flu a Concern for Will County

Submitted by Will County Animal Control

JOLIET – There are no confirmed cases of canine infectious respiratory disease in Will County, but a continuing Chicagoland outbreak has Will County Animal Control on the alert for dog flu.

There have been more than 1,100 confirmed dog flu cases reported from greater Chicagoland and at least six fatalities have been reported. At least 300 additional cases have been confirmed from Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio. Will County Animal Control administrator Lee Schild D.V.M. urges precautions to help area dog owners protect their pets.

“This is a significant outbreak caused by a virus of Asian lineage,” Schild said. “Dog flu is common in the U.S., but this is a strain we haven’t seen before. Until the outbreak shows signs of subsiding, it would be prudent to avoid dog parks and keep dogs separated as much as possible.

“Your dog is much less likely to acquire a virus if it doesn’t come in contact with other dogs,” Schild added. “You might also want to consider postponing grooming for a while and I would say that now is not the best time to board your dog.”