There are a wide variety of diseases and infections that our dogs can get. Of course, we get our dogs vaccinated every year (or every 3 years) to avoid this, but it is still very important to be aware of the types of diseases our dogs can get, and what the symptoms are should we ever encounter them.
Disease : Canine Distemper
Cause : Virus. Contact with bodily secretions of infected animals. Sometimes airborne.
Symptoms: Red eyes, nasal discharge, and cold-like symptoms followed by vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and neurological complications, such as convulsions.
Prognosis: More than half of affected dogs and three-quarters of affected puppies will die. Survivors may develop chronic or fatal nervous-system problems.
Vaccination Schedule : Revaccinate at 1 year of age, then every three years. Core.
Disease: Canine Parvovirus
Cause: Ingestion of feces. Incubation period of three to 10 days; the virus can live for many months outside of its host.
Symptoms: Bloody diarrhea, vomiting, high fever, loss of appetite, and depression. Can attack the heart, leading to congestive heart failure. Sometimes mistaken for the “doggie flu.”
Prognosis : Usually fatal to puppies, especially without immediate treatment. Older dogs face a 50/50 chance of survival with treatment.
Vaccination Schedule : Revaccinate at 1 year of age, then every three years. Core.
Disease - Canine Adenovirus-2 (Kennel Cough, Viral)
Cause: Contact with infected animals’ bodily secretions. Sometimes airborne.
Symptoms : Dry, hacking cough.
Prognosis : Poor to good, depending on dog’s condition and age.
Vaccination Schedule : Revaccinate at 1 year of age, then every three years. Dog’s breed, lifestyle, geographic location, and type of vaccine used should be taken into account. Vaccine also guards against canine adenovirus-1. Core.
Canine Adenovirus-1 (Canine Herpes Virus)
Causes : Contact with saliva, feces, and urine of domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes, and foxes.
Symptoms : Nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, jaundice, light-colored stool, and stomach enlargement.
Prognosis : Ranges from very mild to sometimes fatal.
Vaccination Schedule : Not recommended due to serious side effects. The CAV-2 vaccine protects against CAV-1.
Rabies
Cause : Body fluids of an infected animal touch the broken skin or mucus membranes, mouth, nose, or eyes of other animals or people.
Symptoms : Vague to severe changes in temperament, restless, nervous, vicious, chewing and biting viciously, frothing at the mouth, bloody saliva, oblivious to pain, paralysis of vocal chords.
Prognosis : Death; there is no cure.
Vaccination Schedule : Revaccinate at 1 year of age, then every three years, depending on local laws. Check with your
veterinarian and animal control agency to determine legal requirements. Core.
Parainfluenza Virus
Causes : Airborne.
Symptoms : Nasal discharge, persistent cough, often ending with a gagging sound.
Prognosis: A self-limiting disease, lasting a few weeks with treatment. Only becomes serious if left untreated or if a secondary bacterial infection sets in.
Vaccination Schedule : Revaccinate at 1 year of age, then every three years, or as needed. Non-core.
Bordetella (Kennel Cough, Bacterial)
Causes : Highly contagious bacterial illness usually passed via coughing or sneezing.
Symptoms : Harsh cough.
Prognosis : Seldom fatal. In some dogs it can lead to pneumonia.
Vaccination Schedule : Annually or more if at risk for infection — at least one week prior to known exposure. Non-core.
Lyme Disease
Causes : Tick bites.
Symptoms : Fever, lethargy, swelling in the bitten limb, and depression.
Prognosis : Nearly 90 percent of dogs treated within the first week of symptoms respond to treatment with antibiotics,
usually administered for three weeks.
Vaccination Schedule : Optional, but recommended annually, right before tick season in high-risk areas where dogs face daily exposure. Non-core.
Leptospirosis
Causes : Contact with theurine of an infected host.
Symptoms : Fever, depression, loss of appetite, joint pain, nausea, excessive drinking, jaundice, excess bleeding.
Prognosis : May cause death. Often leads to kidney or liver disease if left untreated.
Vaccination Schedule : Vaccinations should be restricted to areas where risk has been established. After initial vaccination at 12 and 16 weeks of age, boosters should be given at 6 to 9 month intervals until risk has passed. Non-core.
Canine Coronavirus
Causes : Ingestion of feces.
Symptoms : Diarrhea, vomiting, lack of appetite, depression, lethargy, and dehydration.
Prognosis : Responds well to treatment.
Vaccination Schedule : Not recommended.
Giardia Lamblia
Causes : Ingestion of contaminated food or water.
Symptoms : Diarrhea.
Prognosis : Responds to drug treatment.
Vaccination Schedule : Not recommended.
Thanks to Dog Fancy for this important article!!
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