Can a dog catch the flu?

All of us here at my house are suffering from the flu so I am wondering if a dog can actually catch the flu from a human? All answers are very much appriciated.

Hi meeandnotyou,

No, dogs cannot catch the flu from humans. The influenza virus that infects humans is specially adapted to attack the human body and to date, there have been no documented cases of a human passing the illness on to a dog.

However, there is an unrelated flu that dogs can catch: canine influenza. Some medical signs that a dog has the flu include coughing (moist or dry), fever, and nasal discharge.
However, this is not caught from humans, just other dogs.

Feel better!