Recent Article:  http://www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_canine_influenza_update.shtml#treatment

Note: (!!  :(  )  quoted from the above article

What about Tamiflu?
Oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) is a drug developed for treatment of influenza in humans. This drug should not be used for treatment of canine influenza at this time. There are several reasons for this. We do not currently know the appropriate dose and duration for treatment of dogs. (!) For best effect in humans, the drug needs to be started within 48 hours of infection. We rarely recognize canine flu this early. Most importantly, Tamiflu® represents a primary line of defense against a human influenza pandemic. Use of this drug may soon be restricted in order to best reserve its use for protection of human health.

Note: Tamiflu is already copied and widely used in Asia, esp China where many of the recent animal-man virus transmissions have started (among others by eating infected wild animals). So using it for sporadic cases of serious canine viral , especially parvo infection,  would hardly qualify as a danger to the protection of human health. Only if the transmission of canine or equine influenza to humans were suspected in epidemic proportions would restriction of use to prevent resistance make sense.

 Tamiflu has been used for many years for the treatment of human influenza in the US and Europe.  Using Tamiflu after known canine flu exposure - kennels,racetracks, dog shows) would most certainly save lives and would halt the spead of disease if used with other preventive measures (overcrowding, stress). 

1st hand, personal experience: Two dogs rescued from a shelter, both had been strays, one around 4, the other about 1 year old, came down with symptoms of parvo: initially loss of appetite, then vomiting, then bloody stool. They were given TAMIFLU capsules 75 mg followed by small amounts of Pedialyte. One threw up some of the 1st dose, but kept down a second dose. After the 2nd dose no further vomiting. No diarrhea. after 24 hours both are drinking small amounts of water. The virus appears to be out of their system...Tamiflu is a prescription drug commonly used for treatment of influenza in compromised patients, some pharmacies only stock it during the flu season. It is already used by veterinarians, with similar results. Price varies 65 from 80$ for 10 capsules. Versus 1000$+ for conventional intensive care vet treatment.

NYTimes.com

*** new flu is susceptible to the two most common antiviral drugs, amantidine and Tamiflu, but those drugs are not licensed for use in dogs.       Note: Tamiflu has been used in PARVO as well, with good results.

A New Deadly, Contagious Dog Flu Virus Is Detected in 7 States

By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. and CARIN RUBENSTEIN
Published: September 22, 2005

A new, highly contagious and sometimes deadly canine flu is spreading in kennels and at dog tracks around the country, veterinarians said yesterday.

The virus, which scientists say mutated from an influenza strain that affects horses, has killed racing greyhounds in seven states and has been found in shelters and pet shops in many places, including the New York suburbs, though the extent of its spread is unknown.

Dr. Cynda Crawford, an immunologist at the University of Florida's College of Veterinary Medicine who is studying the virus, said that it spread most easily where dogs were housed together but that it could also be passed on the street, in dog runs or even by a human transferring it from one dog to another. Kennel workers have carried the virus home with them, she said.

How many dogs die from the virus is unclear, but scientists said the fatality rate is more than 1 percent and could be as high as 10 percent among puppies and older dogs.

Dr. Crawford first began investigating greyhound deaths in January 2004 at a racetrack in Jacksonville, Fla., where 8 of the 24 greyhounds who contracted the virus died.

"This is a newly emerging pathogen," she said, "and we have very little information to make predictions about it. But I think the fatality rate is between 1 and 10 percent."

She added that because dogs had no natural immunity to the virus, virtually every animal exposed would be infected. About 80 percent of dogs that are infected with the virus will develop symptoms, Dr. Crawford said. She added that the symptoms were often mistaken for "kennel cough," a common canine illness that is caused by the bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria.

Both diseases can cause coughing and gagging for up to three weeks, but dogs with canine flu may spike fevers as high as 106 degrees and have runny noses. A few will develop pneumonia, and some of those cases will be fatal. Antibiotics and fluid cut the pneumonia fatality rate, Dr. Crawford said.

The virus is an H3N8 flu closely related to an equine flu strain. It is not related to typical human flus or to the H5N1 avian flu that has killed about 100 people in Asia.

Experts said there were no known cases of the canine flu infecting humans. "The risk of that is low, but we are keeping an eye on it," said Dr. Ruben Donis, chief of molecular genetics for the influenza branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is tracking the illness.

But with the approach of the human flu season and fears about bird flu in Asia, there is much confusion among some dog owners who have heard about the disease.

Dr. Crawford said she was fielding calls from kennels and veterinarians across the country worried that they were having outbreaks.

"The hysteria out there is unbelievable, and the misinformation is incredible," said Dr. Ann E. Hohenhaus, chief of medicine at the Animal Medical Center in New York.

Dr. Hohenhaus said she had heard of an alert from a Virginia dog club reporting rumors that 10,000 show dogs had died.

"We don't believe that's true," she said, adding that no dogs in her Manhattan hospital even had coughs.

Dr. Donis of the disease control centers said that there was currently no vaccine for the canine flu. But he said one would be relatively easy to develop. The canine flu is less lethal than parvovirus, which typically kills puppies but can be prevented by routine vaccination.

Laboratory tests, Dr. Donis said, have shown that the new flu is susceptible to the two most common antiviral drugs, amantidine and Tamiflu, but those drugs are not licensed for use in dogs.

The flu has killed greyhounds at tracks in Florida, Massachusetts, Arizona, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Texas and Iowa. Tracks and kennels have been forced to shut down for weeks for disinfection.

In Chestnut Ridge, north of New York City, about 88 dogs became sick by early September, and 15 percent of those required hospitalization, said Debra Bennetts, a spokeswoman for Best Friends Pet Care, a chain of boarding kennels. The kennel was vacated for decontamination by Sept. 17.

About 17 of the infected dogs were treated at the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus, N.J., where one died and two more were still hospitalized, a staff veterinarian said.

The Best Friends chain owns 41 other kennels in 18 states, and no others have had an outbreak, Dr. Larry J. Nieman, the company's veterinarian, said.

In late July, at Gracelane Kennels in Ossining, N.Y., about 35 dogs showed symptoms, said the owner, Bob Gatti, and he closed the kennel for three weeks to disinfect.

About 25 of the dogs were treated by an Ossining veterinarian, Glenn M. Zeitz, who said two of them had died.

"The dogs came in very sick, with high fevers and very high white blood cell counts," Dr. Zeitz said, making him suspicious that they had something worse than kennel cough.

A spokesman for the New York City Health Department said that there were "a few confirmed cases" in New York but that the city was not yet tracking the disease.

Veterinarians voluntarily sent samples to the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine, which was the only laboratory doing blood tests.

Bethesda, MD November 29, 2005. The skyrocketing rise in domestic travel during the holiday season and the easing of airline restrictions of flying with animals means that pet owners in increasing numbers will be including their pets in upcoming holiday and travel plans. Unfortunately, this season a new disease may put a significant damper on folks planning to travel with their pets. Canine Influenza (Dog Flu), initially found in racing greyhounds, is a virus that mutated from a strain of influenza affecting horses. Highly contagious, the virus causes an acute respiratory infection with signs that mimic "kennel cough", but is more serious and usually requires veterinary attention. According to independent researchers and the Centers for Disease Control, Canine Influenza has been reported in dogs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Since Canine Influenza is new, every dog, regardless of breed or age, is susceptible to the infection since they have no naturally-acquired immunity. Experts estimate that nearly 100% of exposed dogs will become infected and about 80% will exhibit clinical signs. At a recent CDC briefing, Dr. Cynda Crawford of the University of Florida reported that "a small population of dogs will develop complications, most likely bacterial complications, and these dogs do need to have their treatment supervised by a veterinarian."

The clinical signs of Canine Influenza include nasal discharge, a low-grade fever, and a deep hacking cough, which generally appear 2-5 days after exposure. Infected dogs can shed the virus 7-10 days after they start to show clinical signs. About 20% of infected dogs never show any signs but are still able to spread the infection to other dogs. Sneezing and coughing are the most common forms of dog-to-dog spread, as well as caretakers who handle infected and then healthy dogs. Additionally, studies suggest that species transmission allows for the potential for dog-to-human spread, similar to that of the rapid infection of the avian flu.

In the initial outbreak of Canine Influenza, over a third of the infected dogs died, but researchers now expect that the mortality rate to be a 'low' 5-8%. "That number is 'low' only if yours isn't one of the dogs that dies, or that you are not among the pet owners whose dogs contract the disease and are hit with a big, unexpected pre-holiday vet bill," suggests Dr. Joel Ehrenzweig, medicinal compliance consultant and head of the Veterinary Division of FLAVORx.

On the bright side, Canine Influenza is sensitive to antiviral drugs like Tamiflu™, the prescription medication that reduces the severity and duration of flu in humans. Tamiflu™ is being used by a growing number of veterinarians for treating viral diseases, including Canine Influenza and Parvo virus in dogs and upper respiratory diseases in cats. With data that indicates Tamiflu™ is 92% effective in preventing flu in people, the FDA has approved its use as a flu preventative. Until a vaccination is developed, many veterinarians see Tamiflu™ as the only viable medication that they can provide for their patients. But unfortunately, what has prevented most veterinarians from using Tamiflu™ is the difficulty in accurately dosing and convincing dogs to swallow it. In all forms, Tamiflu™ has an extremely bitter taste.

"The most necessary and effective treatment will fail if the patient won't accept it. The circle of care is broken, and the result is that the entire veterinary health system fails that patient," states Ehrenzweig. Therefore, the success or failure of the innovative use of Tamiflu in pets rides on the willingness and ability of the pet to swallow the medication. FLAVORx, the company that has eliminated the world of bad-tasting medicine for kids, has added a flavoring system for Tamiflu™ to its veterinary formulary. After being inundated with calls from FLAVORx Veterinary System users on how to flavor Tamiflu™, Ehrenzweig set out to develop a formulary that would help vets as well as their clients and patients. So far, reports from the field indicate that dogs prefer beef and bacon, while cats like their Tamiflu™ with tuna, salmon or fish chowder flavors.

In hospitals --human and veterinary-- and pharmacies, FLAVORx has become the definitive solution to the problem of non-compliance. By changing bitter-tasting prescriptions, like Tamiflu™, into tasty, even delicious, flavored liquids, compliance rates in patients given flavored medications has risen dramatically. The company's menu of veterinary flavors is designed to appeal to the very different taste preferences of dogs and cats. Veterinarians, charged with caring for patients with extremely sensitive senses of taste and smell, have found the task of adequately medicating these animals difficult, and often, impossible. Rates of non-compliance in companion animals are about 70% for dogs and a startling 90% for cats. FLAVORx's pet-friendly flavors drive compliance rates to over 90% and continue to amaze both veterinarians and pet-owners.

Ehrenzweig, a medicinal compliance consultant with twenty-five years of veterinary practice experience, strongly advises pet owners to follow some common sense rules until more is known about Canine Influenza and an effective vaccine is developed: