How to Protect Your Pet From the Swine Flu

You may have heard by now that the very first pet has fallen victim to H1N1 (Swine flu): a 13-year-old Iowa house cat. The 16-pound tabby joins the list of nearly 25,000 lab-confirmed human cases in the United States.

But rest assured, the kitty is recovering nicely, no other cases have been reported of H1N1 moving from animals to people and the virus does not appear to spread easily among animals, according to Ann Garvey, DVM, of the Iowa Department of Public Health. More encouraging news: there has never been a report of human seasonal influenza ("regular flu") affecting cats or dogs, according to an article on TIME.com.

So where does this all leave us? "We just don't know," Dr. Garvey says. Veterinarians believe the cat likely contracted H1N1 from his owners, as two of his human family members had recently suffered from a flu-like illness. But this case could have been a fluke, given the cat's advanced age and weakened immune system (after all, he's no "spring chicken")--or on the other hand, it may be a forewarning of future pet disease. There's not enough evidence at this point to tell.

In any case, if you're worried about spreading H1N1 to your pet--vets recommend adhering to the same guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest for protecting your human family members--including the following.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Wash your hands with soap and water or sanitize with a hand gel before and after touching your pet, especially if you or others in the household are experiencing the flu or flu-like symptoms. If you are away from home with your pet, it's a good idea to have antibacterial wipes on hand.

2. Don't allow your pet to lick your mouth and nose area, especially if you're sick. If you have a pet that loves to show affection this way, just be sure he avoids your nose and mouth where germs collect.

3. If you are sick, be sure to cover your coughs and sneezes whenever you're around your pet.

4. Try to avoid close contact with your pet until you are well; the same goes for other family members and houseguests who are sick.

5. Make an appointment to see your vet ASAP if your pet seems "under the weather" and is exhibiting flu-like symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. There have been reported cases of cats contracting avian flu and dogs have their own version of the flu.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't panic. Research shows that people are more likely to spread germs to pets, rather than the other way around-and given the number of reported cases of human flu infecting pets (including H1N1) in the United States (one to be exact)--there's not likely a need to rush your pet to the emergency vet or yourself to the ER, and certainly no reason to separate or quarantine your pet if your pet exhibits flu-like symptoms. Odds are--it's not Swine flu.

Resources

• TIME.com Article