This raises many questions from pet owners. Dogs are the ones most at risk.

Along with looking at his patients' teeth and listening to their heart, Dr. Richard Linn of the Ozark Veterinary Clinic also informs owners their dog could be at risk of getting the H3N8 virus.

"(Symptoms) can range from a kennel cough to severe pneumonia," Linn said, "it can even be fatal in dogs."

For canines, this is a relatively new virus.

Recently, the H3N8 virus migrated from Florida to 36 states including Arkansas.

"Missouri doesn't have a confirmed case yet but that doesn't mean it's not here," Linn said.

No matter the breed of dog, it has the same risk of contracting canine influenza if it's boarded, stays at a pet daycare, or goes to a dog park.

"We recommend, if they're getting kennel cough treatment, to get the flu vaccine," Linn said.

Canine flu spreads the same way it does with humans: direct contact, coughing or sneezing, and via contaminated surfaces.

If your dogs never leave the house and never comes in contact with other dogs, you probably don't need the shot but you should ask your vet to be safe.

All dogs exposed to the virus will get it. Only 80 percent that contract it, however, will show the symptoms, with 5 percent dying from complications.

As for the other popular type of house pet, cats have no vaccine at this time for their H1N1 strain.

"At this point it is considered very rare in cats," Linn said.

Symptoms for both cats and dogs include fever, laziness, cough, loss of appetite and fluid leaking from the nose.

As far as a pet transferring the virus to a human, Linn says that would be very unlikely. H3N8 is only known in dogs and horses, and there's no research showing cats giving H1N1 to humans.