A strange question.  

Actually as strange as it sounds the answer is yes . Animals can get stuff from us , such as the flu and they can give it back to us also . The difference is that usually for them it will go away without antibiotics but in some cases they can get sick enough and require this alos , and it is a lot more expensive for their medications then it would be for ours . You can always tell if a dog is feeling well by touching it's nose as it should be wet , if it is dry then he may not feel well or may be tired . You will be able to tell by how your pet is eating and if they have the normal energy that they usually have , if they don't then chances are they are not feeling well and then you just have to keep an eye on them . Little dogs are more prone to getting ill then bigger dogs .

NO dogs or cats can not catch flu from humans, i have never known a dog to get flu and i've had dogs all my life. Cats can catch cat flu (not from humans) this in cats can be quiet deadly so a yearly vaccination for you cats against cat flu is advised. Dogs can get minor chest infections and a few sniffles. Normally a vet will prescribe a low antibiotic medicine. (i worked as a vet assistant for 2 and a half years)

I asked my vet this question because my husband once had the flu and I didn't want my dog to be near him. He said that a dog's immune system was different to humans and there was no chance of it getting the flu from my husband. If your dog is acting like it has the flu then you need to take it to the vet as it could have parvo virus which starts with flu like symptons.

I do think they do, for whenever we have cold, they too start having cold and sneezing, though I must say they sound lot cuter when they sneeze than I do :)

Hi Meeandnotyou,

You've already received some great information about flu strains that have jumped animal species. Yes, your furry friend can contract such influenza viruses. Heeding the advice contained within the other post will limit possible contraction.

However, in addressing your specific question of whether your furry friends can contract the flu from you and/or your family ...

Generally speaking no, they cannot. However, a dog with a compromised immune system may become futher compromised by pathogens that they generally wouldn't be bothered by. For example, if the dog has allergies, or is geriatric, or is battling a more serious disease like an auto-immune disorder, or diabetes, or cancer. In such cases, the immuno tax load of fighting the more serious illness may make the dog succeptable to pathogens that normally would be inconsequential.

You've probably noticed that many dog food labels these days include ingredients like: Ascorbic acid, Omega-3 fatty acids, tocopherol, etc... This move on the part of feed manufacturers is to help boost canine immuno response to the crud that we humans also fight in our shared environment. Feed manufacturers are taking the nutritional needs of our four-legged friends much more seriously these days. A move I applaud, by the way.

My rule of thumb is: To keep a dog healthy, make sure the dog has a healthy digestive system. If the dog is eating healthy food, and has the necessary enzymes and beneficial intestinal bacteria, then the dog's immune system will be strong enough to keep most illnesses at bay.

To insure healthy digestion, I add pro-biotics and digestive enzymes to my critters' food. And, my dogs are healthy as ... well, dogs!

Hope this helps answer your question, which incidentally is not really that uncommon. Many people have wondered the same.

Best to you and your furry friends, too!

Like other's have already posted, no, you can not catch a flu from a dog, and a dog can not catch a flu from you. It stays with in a species (usually) and it takes A LOT for it to mutate into a form you could catch.

There are animals, like ferrets, that you can give the flu to and they can give it to you. However, reading around, this is the only animal that you can give the flu to, and that you can get the flu from.

I really do believe it is possible for animals to catch the flu and sometimes colds from us humans. Infact our puppy just got over being sick. I was worried it was parvo, but he did not have the symptoms of parvo.And after about three days he was acting normal again...I think he had the flu. But I would suggest if you are ever worried about your pet(s), you should call a vet. :)

yeah i do belive the dog can get the flu i mean we probly ill not realise as dogs just deal with it dont they i mean when they get sick they tend to eat grass so i guess if they was to get the flu the ould just eat grass it acts as a medison i belive or somthing like that

LOL yes it may appear to be a strange question but I have at one time or another wondered the same thing. I have seen animals sneeze so I don't know if that is an indication or not. Not you've really got me wondering. Well I will just hope that some well educated person can answer this post and settle it for us once and for all.

I think they can get sick from us. If your dogs get sick I would recommend taking them to vet.