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Vets Try To Calm Fears Of Canine Influenza

flickr user / Derek Bridges "Leashed Dog" (CC BY 2.0)
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Veterinarians in northern Illinois are putting residents at ease over recent reports of dog flu in the Chicago area.

Dr. David Emmert, of Prairie View Animal Hospital in DeKalb, says most dogs don’t need to be vaccinated for the dog flu.

“You know we’re really trying to address all those on a case-by-case basis because the media hype has generated a little bit of panic among some pet owners.”

Emmert says pet owners should consider the factors of their dogs’ interaction with other dogs.

"People only really need to think about getting their dogs vaccinated if they are regularly or frequently going into those really high-risk environments.”

He said the greatest concern would be with the pet daycare centers, since some of the bigger facilities in Chicago actually shut down for a while.  He said the closest outbreak that he knows about was at a veterinary clinic in Yorkville.