By ABC-7's Celina Avila

A new flu strain is infecting dogs in some parts of Texas.

According to Dr. Nancy Harvey, the core dog vaccines include a shot for Parvo as well as the regular dog flu.

She says, "I'm just seeing the normal, little respiratory diseases that I see here in town."

However, the new flu strain is the H3N8 dog flu virus, which is a variation of the horse flu, HRN8.

Dr. Nancy Harvey says while H3N8 has spread to dogs in other parts of the state, she "doesn't think it has been a big problem here."

There is a vaccine, but Dr. Harvey doesn't even have it yet.

She says, "it is a virus that could mutate and be a problem more down the road...but right now it's not really a problem," adding, "I'm not vaccinating my own animals. I have a lot of dogs myself...a lot of dogs. And even in my situation, I'm not using it."

One pet owner says she won't be vaccinating her new puppies with the new H3N8 vaccine anytime soon either.

Dr. Harvey suggestion is for pet owners to wait a while.  "I just don't see with the vaccine being new and all, I would want to go out and vaccinate my dogs not knowing what it's going to do," she says.

The vet adds: "They're my whole family; I would take care of them like I would my children."

Unlike H1N1 though, humans don't have to worry about being infected...H3N8 is truly "one for the dogs."

H3N8 is just one worry for dogs and their owners.  Another concern is the Canine Parvovirus, or parvo (CPV).

The Animal Services Division of the City of El Paso's Department of Public Health urges dog owners to have their pets inoculated against parvo.

Employees at the Animal Services Division have seen a rise in the number of CPV cases recently. While potentially deadly, parvo is a preventable disease that most commonly attacks the canine intestinal tract and is transmitted through the feces and vomit of infected dogs and puppies.

Parvo is contagious to other dogs but cannot be passed on to humans or other animals, the exception being wild animals of the canine family such as foxes, coyotes, and wolves.

Dogs that are most at risk for parvo infection include puppies younger than 4 months of age, as well as any dog that has not been fully vaccinated and dogs that have weakened immune systems.

The initial symptoms of the virus include loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, lethargy, fever, and depression, accompanied by very foul smelling, bloody diarrhea, but getting proper treatment soon after parvo symptoms appear can save the life of an infected dog.

For more information about parvo please click on the Associated Link on this page.