Veterinary Technician Advice: Diseases your Puppy or Dog
may get if not Vaccinated - 2
By Kami R. Guy, CVT
In the last article I wrote about Distemper, the first disease that a dog or
puppy is vaccinated for in the DA2PLPC series, how the disease makes them sick,
and how it is treated and how it affects puppies’ health. In this article, I
will cover the next two diseases in the DA2PLPC series, which are Canine
Hepatitis and Canine Parinfluenza virus.
Infectious Canine Hepatitis is a highly contagious viral disease affecting the
liver and other organs, and is caused by Canine Adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1). This
disease is closely related to Canine Adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) that causes
Infectious Canine Tracheobronchitis, which will be elaborated on in a later
article. CAV 1 is spread only among domestic and wild dogs such as wolves,
coyotes, bears, skunks and foxes, and it is not related to human hepatitis.
A dog or puppy can become infected with this disease by direct contact with an
infected animal, feces, or contaminated objects such as food dishes. In
addition, it is transmitted by inhalation or by fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.
Four to seven days after the initial exposure to the virus, it begins to
multiply and sheds in the feces, saliva, and urine making this the most
contagious period of the disease. For the first eight days, it will travel from
the tonsils to the lymph nodes and on to the blood stream. From there, it
infects the liver, kidneys, eyes, and other organs, causing extensive cell
damage. It is because of this that the virus can be found in all tissues of
infected animals and shed in all body secretions. An infected canine may even
shed the virus for 6-9 months after recovery, through secretions.
Signs and symptoms of this disease vary from a slight fever to death. A puppy
or dog that has a healthy immune system can fight the disease by producing
antibodies, but it can stay in the kidneys and it can be shed in the urine for
up to nine months posing a threat to other dogs. There are three forms of
systemic disease of this virus. The per acute form usually affects puppies and
causes death within a short period of three to four hours with little or no
signs of illness. The Acute form usually has a duration of four to nine days
and may involve many clinical symptoms including: fever, apathy, anorexia,
thirst, conjunctivitis, serious discharge from eyes and nose, abdominal pain,
vomiting, tachycardia, leucopoenia, bleeding of the gums, prolonged clotting
time, enlarged tonsils, and swelling of the head, neck and trunk. Central
nervous signs are not common, but they may be seen in a severely infected
animal. It is sometimes very difficult to control hemorrhaging depending on the
severity of the disease because of the prolonged clotting time. Since the liver
is an important organ that performs many vital jobs, any disturbance in its
function is a serious matter that should be treated early.
Treatment for this disease consists of many systemic procedures. Blood
transfusions may be necessary in severely ill dogs with prolonged clotting
time. A 5% dextrose solution in isotonic saline should be given intravenously
along with a broad-spectrum antibiotic. If the puppy or dog develops corneal
edema, then an atropine ophthalmic ointment may be given and the animal should
be protected against bright lights. These signs could be the beginnings of
“blue eye”, which is temporary clouding of the cornea of one or both eyes
caused by antibodies that attach to the virus present in the eye. This problem
is common in about one-quarter of dogs, usually puppies under six months old,
which have an acute Infectious Canine Hepatitis. This problem may last for six
months after recovery and may even lead to permanent eye damage. After the
recovery begins, the liver will be able to heal itself but this disease leaves
the dog more susceptible to kidney infections because of the amount of time the
virus remains in the kidneys.
As with all other virus, prevention is the key to keeping your puppy or dog
safe from Infectious Canine Hepatitis and many other diseases.
The third disease in the DA2PLPC series is Canine Parinfluenza Virus. This
disease is almost obsolete, but it is still a good idea to vaccinate against
it. It is transmitted through aerosol spread such as coughing or sneezing,
personnel, cages, food, and water bowls. Though this disease causes mild
problems it can be harbored in the airways of dogs or puppies that may not show
any signs. In puppies and imunocompromised animals, this disease can cause a
secondary bacterial invasion of the lower respiratory tract and life
threatening pneumonia.
The main clinical sign of the mild form of this disease is a dry hacking cough
that can be high pitched because of laryngitis and swollen vocal folds. The
cough may be more frequent during exercise, excitement, or changes in
temperature and humidity of inspired air. A cough can be elicited by tracheal
palpation or by pulling on the collar. A mild naso-occular discharge is
sometimes seen. The clinical course of this disease is usually 7-14 days and
typically, the dog or puppy continues to eat and remains active and alert.
The severe form of this disease is a lot less common and is usually the result
of mixed infections in unvaccinated puppies in animal shelters or pet shops. A
productive cough due to Tracheobronchitis plus bronchopneumonia may be present.
Other signs are conjunctivitis, anorexia, depression, and fever. The severe
form of this disease is sometimes hard to distinguish from canine Distemper,
which can sometimes be fatal.
Radiographs, airway cytologies, cultures, and virology can be used to help
diagnosis Parinfluenza, but reveals many nonspecific findings. Since these
tests are not definite this disease is usually diagnosed on circumstantial
evidence of clinical signs and exposure history.
Treatment of this disease varies. The mild form requires no specific therapy.
The severe form, however, can be fatal because of lower respiratory involvement
prompting aggressive treatment for bronchopneumonia. All antitussives need to
be avoided. If the cough persist for more than 14 days other tests need to be
performed to rule out other diseases. If possible, this disease is treated on
an outpatient basis to prevent transmission to other boarding and hospitalized
animals. Other treatments include supportive care such as adequate fluid
intake, either oral or IV, airway humidification, and rest.
|
|