Micki Bridges received an e-mail from a friend recently, telling her the dangers of canine flu.

“At first I thought is was one of those joke e-mails, but there’s a strain going around that affects dogs,” said the Montgomery pet owner, who has an Australian shepherd named “Sheila.”

“That’s all we need to worry about — first H1N1 flu for people and now dog flu,” she said.

Bridges and other pet owners in central Alabama have little to be worried about, said Dr. Tommy Gamper, a veterinarian with Cobbs Ford Pet Health Center in Prattville.

“Canine flu has been around for a few years. It was first diagnosed on the East Coast among greyhounds at dog tracks,” he said. “Most of the cases have been in Florida and New York, centered around dog tracks. It is something we are on the lookout for, but I know of no cases of canine flu in this area.”

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