First case reported in Canada of dog dying from avian influenza

The first case in Canada of a dog dying from avian influenza has been reported in Oshawa and officials are warning pet owners to take precautions.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease confirmed the positive test results on Saturday.

The agency says the domestic dog was infected with H-5-N-1 avian influenza after chewing on a dead wild goose.

A necropsy completed on Monday showed infection in the respiratory system and further testing is reportedly underway.

READ MORE: Mississauga confirmed avian flu cases after dead birds test positive

This is the only reported case in the country of a dog dying from avian influenza.

The CFIA says owners are encouraged to take precautions to protect their pets and themselves, such as avoiding feeding pets any raw meat from game birds or poultry and not allowing pets to eat or play with dead wild birds found outside.

Clinical signs of avian influenza in pets may include:

• fever
• lethargy
• conjunctivitis
• lack of appetite
• difficulty breathing
• neurological signs (e.g. tremors, seizures)
• death

In a release, the CFIA said humans are not likely to contract this illness from their pets.

“Based on the current evidence in Canada, the risk to the general public remains low and current scientific evidence suggests that the risk of a human contracting avian influenza from a domestic pet is minor,” the CFIA said.

The agency has intermittently reported the presence of the virus in some wild mammals, including foxes, mink, raccoons, skunks, seals, dolphins and black bears.

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