H1N1 and your pets

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Quinn Schuler - View Bio

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Katherine Larue is definitely a "dog person." She has had her two-year-old dog, Sadie, for about six months.

She says after hearing about cats and ferrets contracting the H1N1 virus, she's a little concerned about Sadie.

One cat in Oregon died this week, presumed to have contracted the virus but they're still waiting on test results. Then earlier this month, two other cats in Utah and Iowa tested positive for the virus but they recovered.

Also several ferrets across the country have contracted this virus, with one reported death.

"I'm working on getting the vaccine. So, that's sort of my precaution so she doesn't get it," Larue said.

Doctor Jennifer Klaus, critical care doctor with Southern Arizona Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center, says there's good news though.

"Even if they are to get the influenza virus, clinically the syndrome doesn't appear to be that severe," Dr. Klaus said.

She says she hasn't seen any cases of the H1N1 virus in animals but at the same time she admits they haven't tested any.

At this point doctors at the state lab say no one else in Arizona has either. They haven't received any requests for tests.

Dr. Klaus says unless it's serious or unless the pet owner wants the test, they will just treat the symptoms.

She says the symptoms of H1N1 are similar to common illnesses like upper respiratory track infection in cats and kennel cough in dogs.

"Sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose. Some of them will develop fever, anorexia, lethargy," Dr. Klaus said.

She says the best prevention is what doctors have been telling us all along - lots of hand washing.

Doctors at the state lab weren't sure how much a test would cost but say it would run well over $100.