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Vaccine for New Dog-Flu Strain Hitting Arizona "Not Appropriate" for All Patients By Ray Stern
Friday, December 18, 2015 | 1 month ago
Vaccines approved recently for a new strain of dog flu might take away some of the worry for some pet owners but could do more harm than good, says a local veterinarian.
"It's not appropriate for every patient," says Dr. Billy Griswold, who owns Priority Pet Hospital in Gilbert with his wife, veterinarian Karin Burns. "There could be a risk from using the vaccine."
Dog owners concerned about the flu ought to first have a talk about the animal's lifestyle with their local vet, Griswold says.
"There's a lot more risk [from the flu] at boarding kennels or if they spend more time at dog parks," he says. But if a dog stays at home most of the time, the vaccine might not be worth the trouble or cost.
...
Although risk of a truly dangerous outbreak seems to have passed, news about dog flu has flared up in recent weeks because of the new vaccines for H3N2. Last month, Merck Animal Health and Zoetis announced that they had received conditional approval for a vaccine against H3N2. The vaccine now is available in various clinics.
But whether the marketing of the vaccine is beneficial to consumers is the source of debate. An article published on the Veterinary Information Network website in 2012 covered criticism of the "hype" that drives vaccine sales.
"It seems to be getting harder to [determine] when a disease is real and when it is being ?pushed? by vaccine or drug manufacturers these days," Dr. Margaret Mason, a California vet, wrote in a comment on the website, the article states...
Vaccine for New Dog-Flu Strain Hitting Arizona "Not Appropriate" for All Patients By Ray Stern
Friday, December 18, 2015 | 1 month ago
Vaccines approved recently for a new strain of dog flu might take away some of the worry for some pet owners but could do more harm than good, says a local veterinarian.
"It's not appropriate for every patient," says Dr. Billy Griswold, who owns Priority Pet Hospital in Gilbert with his wife, veterinarian Karin Burns. "There could be a risk from using the vaccine."
Dog owners concerned about the flu ought to first have a talk about the animal's lifestyle with their local vet, Griswold says.
"There's a lot more risk [from the flu] at boarding kennels or if they spend more time at dog parks," he says. But if a dog stays at home most of the time, the vaccine might not be worth the trouble or cost.
...
Although risk of a truly dangerous outbreak seems to have passed, news about dog flu has flared up in recent weeks because of the new vaccines for H3N2. Last month, Merck Animal Health and Zoetis announced that they had received conditional approval for a vaccine against H3N2. The vaccine now is available in various clinics.
But whether the marketing of the vaccine is beneficial to consumers is the source of debate. An article published on the Veterinary Information Network website in 2012 covered criticism of the "hype" that drives vaccine sales.
"It seems to be getting harder to [determine] when a disease is real and when it is being ?pushed? by vaccine or drug manufacturers these days," Dr. Margaret Mason, a California vet, wrote in a comment on the website, the article states...