Is the canine flu vaccine recommended for my dog in Tucson, AZ?

I'm not sure what exactly your veterinarian told you that was confusing, but there are two strains of canine influenza that have caused disease in recent years: H3N8 and H3N2. The second seems to be the most clinically relevant and as far as I know is the cause of all flu outbreaks this year. There is a newer vaccine that covers both H3N8 and H3N2, or you can get each vaccine separately. Parainfluenza is indeed a different virus. The canine influenza vaccine (both strains) is not considered a 'core' vaccine, meaning that dogs who are not at risk (primarily those that are not around large groups of other dogs) probably don't need this vaccine. This might be why your veterinarian said FlynnLee was up to date on vaccines but potentially did not have the influenza vaccine.

The Canine Flu vaccine is initially two vaccines given 3-4 weeks apaRt. After that, it is a yearly vaccine. If your dog has increased risk of exposure, she should be vaccinated. Dogs with increased risk are dogs that board frequently, go to daycare or dog parks regularly or get groomed regularly.

Avian flu in dogs is considered extremely rare, only very few cases have ever been documented, i would not be too worried about that. his vaccinations are not related to avian flu, they do not protect your dog from this disease.

This type of virus usually affects very young or immuno- compromised dogs and cats and in my experience this possibility is not likely at all, especially in healthy patients. A vaccination exists for them as well as for us. I would recommend to have this matter discussed with your local veterinarian, as no course of action (a part from normal hygiene measures like wash your hands) may be needed.

If Max will have exposure to a lot of other dogs in close quarters like doggie daycare, boarding, grooming, dog parks, training classes, etc. then he should probably be vaccinated against influenza. If he is mostly a house dog with minimal exposure to other dogs then it is not really necessary.

I recommend double checking with your primary vet since they know more about her specific history, but I would wait until she is symptom free and back to her normal self for a week before vaccinating. Hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. An initial influenza vaccine is given and then a booster vaccine is required 2-4 weeks later. They are the same vaccine, but given at this interval in order to properly stimulate the dog's immune system. So even though your dog accidentally received a second vaccine, a booster will still be required at the proper interval for full protection. I hope this information helps!