As uncertainty continues over the swine flu pandemic, veterinary clinics in Alberta have been inundated with calls from people worried about their family pets.
Trish Hadley, who lives in Edmonton, has been curious about whether the illness could be passed on to her two cats.
"I knew that cats and pigs were related along the same gene line, so I wondered if there was a possibility that the transmission could actually jump into a cat," she said.
The Alberta Veterinary Medical Association has sent out an email telling vets to be on the lookout for feverish felines and coughing canines.
Dr. Max Rossetti, a veterinarian in Edmonton, said it's not common for pets to contract the illness.
"It depends on what is happening in your household. Let's say nobody is feeling any flu effects in the house and the cat or dog starts having flu-like symptoms it's probably not the flu," he said.
"But if the whole house has the flu and has been diagnosed with H1N1, it might be something you want to pursue."
Pet-to-human transmission unlikely
Danny Joffe, medical director of the Calgary Animal Referral and Emergency Care Centre, said one cat in the U.S., a few ferrets, and some pigs and turkeys have contracted the H1N1 flu virus.
He said animals can catch H1N1 through contact with people, but stressed there have been no cases of a house pet infecting a human.
"We have no evidence that if cats get H1N1 or ferrets get H1N1 that they could ever transmit it to people, and the likelihood of that is very low," Joffe said.
The likelihood of a human passing swine flu on to a ferret, however, is much more likely.
Sheila Garland with the Ferret Rescue and Education Society said ferrets catch influenza-type viruses very easily.
Group keeping ferrets away from humans
Garland said the society is keeping its animals away from humans to reduce that risk.
"We've suspended all the information tables that we hold regularly out at pet stores because the risk of transmission to ferrets is so high," she said.
Joffe said it is important for people to learn the facts about inter-species transmission.
"We don't want people to be frightened. The last thing we want is for people to think about giving up their pets because of this. That would be way overblown."
While there is no vaccine for animals, Joffe said there are a few precautions pet owners should take.
"Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands," he said. "If you are coughing, cough into your sleeve, not your hands, where you can pat your pet."
Joffe also said it's important for people to get the H1N1 vaccine once they're eligible, to avoid spreading the virus to other people and to their pets.
