- Aimee Levitt
- A dog desperate for a trip to the dog park and canine companionship
Just in time for fine spring dog-walking weather, vets at Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin teamed up to drop some more crappy news on the dogs of Chicago: the outbreak of K9 flu, which has infected more than 1,000 dogs, emptied dog parks and doggy day cares, and given even the most innocent sidewalk butt-sniff the feel of a criminal activity, is even worse than we thought.
The vets at Blum Animal Hospital, a perennial favorite in Best of Chicago voting, urge pet owners to bring in their animals if they notice unusual lethargy, coughing, difficulty breathing, or fever. (Normal body temperature for both dogs and cats is between 101 and 102.5 Fahrenheit.) They’re also still recommending the vaccine, especially for dogs that have anything resembling a social life. The vaccine is a shot, followed by a booster two to four weeks later.
