The term "sick as a dog" comes into play when a person is incredibly under the weather.

So this begs the question, what happens when your dog is really sick, are they as sick as a human?

Fido might soon find out as canine influenza is starting to sweep the midwest.

At this point there are no confirmed cases of canine  influenza in Sioux Falls, according to Dr. Dawn Dale, a veterinarian and founder of Dale Animal Hospital in Sioux Falls.

This particular strain of canine influenza classified as H3N2, is dangerous because American dogs have not seen this infection before. The strain is suspected to come from Asia. It has hit the Chicago area, and is slowly spreading through the Midwest.

The symptoms of dog flue are similar to influenza in humans, according to Dale. “You’re going to have a fever, you’re going to have a cough, a pretty harsh cough, you’re going to feel terrible, or the dog, he or she is going to feel terrible. It's not going to want to eat, it's not going to want to play.”

Canine influenza is also very contagious.

Dale says there are a number of different ways your dog could contract the flu, it might be something as simple as another dog sneezing in the grass, and a new dog could come along and sniff that and become infected that way.

Dog owners are going to want to be a little more careful. If you notice another animal that appears to be coughing, or sneezing, you probably don’t want to let your dog associate with that dog just to be safe.

Dog flu isn’t necessarily fatal to pets, but, vets do recommend having your dog examined if it is showing flu-like symptoms. There is a chance a small number of these dogs will progress to pneumonia, and that’s when fatalities can occur.

There currently is no vaccine for this strain of dog flu, but veterinarians do have vaccines for an older strain.

Dale recommends the best course of action to avoid the dog flu is to keep your dog clean and healthy. Owners should be aware of the status of the dogs around their pet, that is your best defense.

Source: KDLT

More From Hot 104.7 - KKLS-FM