By Jacques Von Lunen, Special to The Oregon...
December 22, 2009, 4:38PM
Bedford Hills, N.Y. – A dog in upstate New York was diagnosed with H1N1 last week. This is the first confirmed H1N1 case in a dog in the U.S. Two cases were reported in China last month, but never confirmed.
The owner of the 13-year-old male mixed-breed dog took the canine to a local veterinarian on Dec. 11, after several days of the dog's appearing unwell. Two days later, the vet sent the dog to the Katonah Bedford Veterinary Center in Bedford Hills, N.Y. The dog was placed on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, to no avail.
The emergency veterinarian found that the dog had dry cough, was lethargic and not eating; the dog ran a fever of 103.6°F.
After the owner told the hospital vet that he had tested positive for the H1N1 influenza virus earlier that week, the owner was offered the option of sending in swab samples to IDEXX Laboratories in Maine for H1N1 testing. The lab announced the case and its results in a news release; the names of dog and owner were not released.
The H1N1 result was positive. The samples tested negative for all other respiratory illness, including canine influenza (H3N8).
The dog was hospitalized, placed on IV fluids, antibiotics and saline spray. The dog improved with treatment and was released after 48 hours.
This confirms that the same guidelines issued to owners of cats and ferrets must be headed by dog owners as well: if you feel ill with flu-like symptoms, do not cough or sneeze on your animal, wash your hands before and after you handle the animal, and if possible avoid touching or breathing onto the animal.
Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2009/12/first_us_dog_tests_positive_fo.html 
