Canine Flu - What You Need To Know

By Ray Schmitt
CCVSEH PR/Marketing Executive

If you follow the news you have probably come across coverage of the canine flu epidemic that has hit our neighbors to the northwest in Chicago. Reports estimate that thousands of dogs have been infected in the Windy City and that some cases have spilled over into Michigan, as well. With the glut of reports on this outbreak it's important for pet owners in the Hoosier State to know if it could affect them, and if so, how.

What is Known:

• The particular strain of flu virus that has caused the current epidemic in Chicago has not been
  
  previously seen in the United States. A recent report in the Chicago Sun Times points to evidence in studies by scientists at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin that the outbreak was caused by the H3N2 strain and not H3N8 as originally reported. H3N2 has been found to be widely circulated among dog populations in southern China and South Korea the Sun Times states. 
• There is no evidence that this strain of the virus can be transmitted from canines to humans. But there is evidence to suggest that humans can transmit the disease to another dog after coming into contact with a sick pup.
• According to the ASPCA canine flu is transmitted through a combination of aerosols, droplets and direct contact with respiratory secretions.
• A vaccine to combat canine flu does exist but it is not known if it will completely protect dogs from this strain of the virus. Donna Alexander, the administrator of the Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control, is quoted in the Sun Times article that the vaccine "does impart enough of an immunity that it may protect the animal’s life. It may make the difference between it being a fatality and a severe hacking cough that the animal can withstand.” Additionally, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, the vaccine is not effective in dogs already infected with the canine flu.
• Media reports currently attribute five deaths, of the over 1,000 infected, to the current canine flu outbreak.

Possible Signs of Canine Flu:

If you notice any of the following signs in your dog contact your family veterinarian immediately. If their office is closed, our emergency department is open 24-7-365 and can provide help.

• Lethargy
• Fever
• Lack of Appetite
• Coughing
• Rapid and/or Difficult Breathing
• Nasal discharge that begins clear but progresses to yellowish-green mucous

Other Important Facts:

• The Indiana State Board of Animal Health encourages dog owners to not panic.
• Dogs who are in good health but contract canine flu are likely to recover. Extremely old, extremely young and immuno-suppressed dogs are at the highest risk, should they become exposed to canine flu.
• Risk of exposure for dogs in the Indianapolis area is low. If you are planning to travel to the Chicago area, it is recommended that you vaccinate your pets prior to visiting the city.
• Antibiotics and supportive care have been shown to be successful in treating dogs who are exposed to canine flu. 

Website Relaunch

By Ray Schmitt
CCVSEH Marketing/PR Executive

We all use websites every day for an untold number of reasons. The information that they provide can be invaluable whether they are instructing us, keeping us abreast of current events, or simply entertaining us and giving us a chance to escape for a little while. But how often do we, as website users, take a step back and consider what it takes to run and maintain the websites that we love so much? How often do we think about what it takes for website administrators to keep their site competitive among an almost infinite number of other sites in the battle for clicks and views?

Here is a snapshot of our new-look homepage for
www.circlecityvets.com.

My appreciation for those considerations has grown exponentially as a result of the last few months of work. Months ago I teamed up with our hospital's IT company to begin a total overhaul of Circle City Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Hospital's website - www.circlecityvets.com. It was due for a refresh and it's current version was launched before the proliferation of smart phones and the need for mobile responsive sites. We also wanted to stand out from our competition when it came to the look/feel of the site as well as the quality of content provided within.

I had never had such deep involvement in a website overhaul before and couldn't fully wrap my head around how much work it was going to take to achieve our goals. The hard work has paid off, though, and now comes the fun part - the chance to show everyone the fruits of our labor. On Monday, April 6, 2015 we will launch the brand-new www.circlecityvets.com.

The crown jewel of the relaunch will be an improved mobile version of the site. Improving this experience was of utmost priority to us because our research showed that between 35% and 40% of visitors to our site on a monthly basis were doing so via smart phones or tablets. Our old site wasn't designed to display on those devices so there was a lot of scrolling and re-sizing required. With our new mobile-responsive site that simply won't be the case anymore. It will boast features such as tap-to-call and one-tap directions so that you can contact us quickly and have easy access to turn-by-turn directions if you need us in an emergency.

This snapshot of our staff page gives you a peek at one of the
best features of our re-designed site.

Part of the challenge in designing an effective site for our hospital is that it has to provide information to two
audiences - the general public and our referring doctors. We think we've created a site that will effectively reach both. One feature that exemplifies this is the "Useful Forms" button that will be located on the home page. One click on the button will take both pet owners and/or referring veterinarians to a database of forms that will make their visit or referral efficient. Pet owners can download and print new client forms or questionnaires before they ever step foot inside the hospital while veterinarians can download referral forms for any of the specialties we offer here; from dentistry all the way to surgery. Both audiences will also love our staff page which features high-resolution head shots of each of our doctors and a full bio. This allows anyone to get to know our doctors better before meeting them face-to-face, and helps to improve the comfort level of clients and referring doctors.

There will be much more to discover inside of our new website once it launches on April 6 and we hope that you enjoy exploring it. With this new version we will have direct access to manage the content which means we will be adding new information on a regular basis. Hopefully you'll come back and visit often to see what we've been up to. And while you're visiting please take a moment to consider all of the photographers, developers and administrators who worked long hours to bring the site to you.