A second facility that caters to canines has shut down, temporarily, after 25 to 30 dogs showed symptoms of the highly contagious canine influenza. Misty Pines, an upscale boarding and training facility in Franklin Park, closed on Feb. 16 and will remain closed through March 4.

		Dog flu tips Don't take your dog anywhere if the dog is showing signs of cold or flu-type symptoms, including coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge. Don't show up on the doorstep of a veterinary clinic with those symptoms. Call first, and see how the vet wants to proceed. Consider avoiding venues like dog parks and boarding kennels, where dogs have prolonged and close contact with each other. Don't hesitate to ask groomers and training clubs if any of their clients have the flu or flu-like symptoms. Groomers are being advised to be extra vigilant, using chlorine bleach or commercial disinfectants to clean their equipment, including blades, clippers and combs. Don't allow dogs to lick your face, and don't allow dogs to have nose-to-nose contact. Anyone who handles or pets a dog should thoroughly wash his hands with soap or alcohol-based cleanser before handling or touching the next dog. Facilities that have had contact with infected dogs should step in "foot baths" filled with chlorine bleach or other disinfectants upon entering or leaving the facility. Shelters and kennels are stepping up their cleaning and disinfecting regimes. For more information, visit the Web site of the American Veterinary Medical Association at www.avma.org.

The outbreak is positive proof that the virus is spreading in the Pittsburgh area. It comes on the heels of an outbreak at the Animal Rescue League of Western Pennsylvania, which was confirmed on Feb. 2. Dogs there were showing signs of respiratory illness for about 10 days before that.

Though the dog flu is spreading here and in other parts of the country "it's not spreading like wildfire," said Edward J. Dubovi, director of the virology section of the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. His lab ran the tests that confirmed the local cases of canine influenza.

The virus first surfaced in 2004 at greyhound racing tracks in Florida. Since then it has been confirmed in at least 25 states.

None of the Misty Pines dogs became seriously ill and all are recovering, said Jeff Woods, who owns and operates the facility. His own dog, an Akita named Dice, is one of the dogs that got sick.

Two dogs at the Animal Rescue League shelter died from the flu, and four had to be euthanized when they developed a serious form or pneumonia, which can be a complication from the flu. About 24 dogs developed the flu, but are recovering and there have been no new cases at the shelter in the last three weeks. The facility has closed its veterinary clinic to dog clients, is not taking in new dogs and is not adopting dogs out to homes that have dogs. A reopening date has not been announced yet.

"We had dog flu throughout the [Misty Pines] facility so we shut down" to give the virus time to run it's course, Mr. Woods said. "It's only contagious for about 10 days." He plans to reopen on March 5, when all of the client's dogs are expected to be fully recovered.

There is currently no inoculation to protect dogs from the virus. Cornell researchers and at least three major drug companies are working to develop protective vaccines, said Dr. Dubovi, who has a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Canine influenza is spreading in an erratic and unpredictable course.

"All dogs are susceptible" Dr. Dubovi said. "It's all breeds and all ages. Fifty to 80 percent will show some signs of the flu. The symptoms include a green nasal discharge, a cough and sometimes a low fever. Some dogs become lethargic and may exhibit a loss of appetite. The cough, in particular, is similar to symptoms of the common and less serious bordetella, also known as kennel cough. Dogs with the flu may cough for as long as 30 days -- much longer than they would with kennel cough. Veterinary researchers are recommending that dog owners call their own veterinarian at the first sign of any canine cough.

Dogs with canine influenza may be treated with antibiotics to prevent secondary complications, such as pneumonia, which affects about 20 percent of canine flu victims. The mortality rate is 5 to 8 percent.

There are no estimates about how many dogs caught canine influenza.

Dogs at highest risks are dogs kept together in close quarters, such as shelters and boarding kennels. The virus is airborne, and experts are advising dog walkers to avoid nose-to-nose contact between their own dog and other dogs. Nasal discharge is a prime method of spreading the disease, but it can also be spread through contact with canine urine, saliva and feces. People can pick up the virus on their hands and shoes and bring the virus home to their dogs.

People cannot get canine influenza, and neither can any animal other than dogs. Though the disease started as a horse flu virus that "jumped" to dogs, experts do not expect it to jump species again and infect people.