Canine influenza is a respiratory disease causing welfare harm and periodic outbreak events. Vaccination and biosecurity reduce risk for socially active dogs.
Canine influenza causes genuine welfare harm through fever, coughing, nasal discharge, and in severe cases, pneumonia requiring intensive veterinary care. Shelter populations are particularly vulnerable to outbreak events that can spread rapidly through close housing, causing mass respiratory disease and sometimes death. Individual welfare impacts range from mild discomfort in uncomplicated cases to severe respiratory distress in dogs that develop secondary bacterial pneumonia. Prevention through vaccination in high-risk dogs and biosecurity in high-contact settings significantly reduces outbreak risk. During outbreaks, isolation protocols, supportive care, and antibiotic treatment of secondary infections mitigate individual welfare harm. Shelter staff training in outbreak recognition and response is essential for early containment.