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Dog plague

Improper maintenance, poor living conditions and unbalanced nutrition are the main causes of illness. One of the most dangerous diseases is the distemper in dogs. Without treatment, the animal dies, so it is important to know what the first symptoms of the disease and the main methods of treatment are. The disease in each dog can occur individually: lightning fast, acute, typical, or go into the chronic stage. It all depends on the reactivity of the dog's body.

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Causes of the disease

Dog plague

Caret disease (better known as dog distemper) occurs due to infection with a virus from the paramyxovirus group. The causative agent can enter the body through the oral cavity or respiratory system, while it enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body with blood flow. The virus is able to infect any organs and tissues, so the chances of survival are very low.

If a puppy falls ill, then his chances of survival are practically zero, while in an adult, when treatment is started on time, it is 50%. After the illness, the dog receives immunity from this virus until the end of its days. Another 3 months after the disease, the dog is able to infect other individuals. Therefore, it must be isolated from other pets.

Virus infection methods

Signs of dog plague

The main source of infection is a sick animal. This can be not only a domesticated dog, but also wild carnivores, for example, foxes, wolves, minks, ferrets. An infected animal releases the virus into the environment. This happens with secretions: feces, urine, salivary and tear fluid. Even dead cells contain the virus. Therefore, a dog can become infected not only through direct contact with a sick animal. The danger is:

  • feeding troughs from which the sick dog ate or drank;
  • the bedding on which the infected dog slept;
  • places of detention - aviaries, booths, carrying bags ;
  • even a pet dog can catch the virus. The owner may bring him into the house with dirty shoes. The virus can get into the yard on the wheels of a car.

Therefore, it should not be considered that the animal is safe if it does not walk along the street and does not communicate with other dogs.

Most often, infection occurs in the autumn-spring period and in winter. The virus feels great at low temperatures, it is not afraid of even fierce winter frosts. But the heat negatively affects the life of the virus. At high ambient temperatures, the virus dies quickly. Therefore, in the summer, infection occurs extremely rarely.

The diseased animal is the carrier of the virus for the first few days. By the first signs it is still impossible to understand that the dog got sick with a plague. The latent period lasts about a week. Sometimes the disease progresses sharply and after a couple of days symptoms of infection appear. There are cases when the disease proceeds in a latent form for two or even 3 weeks.

During the incubation period, the animal looks quite healthy, but already carries a threat to surrounding dogs. The virus is excreted from the body in a latent period, and even after cure.

Who is at risk

Dog plague symptoms

Not a single dog is safe from the plague. For infection with the virus, the breed does not matter. Dvorrieri and the most elite animals are also ill. The severity and duration of the disease depends on the physical health of the pet. Most often, puppies are infected whose immunity is still very weak to fight a viral infection.

Abandoned stray dogs are ill, the nutrition of which is so inferior that one can’t talk about health. Weakened dogs can also catch the virus. If the animal was infected, but managed to recover, then immunity to this disease occurs. If puppies feed on the milk of a mother who had previously had the disease, then they also have their own immunity, which does not allow them to catch the virus.

Dog plague symptoms

Symptoms of dog plague should be known to every dog ​​breeder. The clinical manifestations of the disease can be different, but the plague can be diagnosed by the most common signs:

  • The very first thing the owner can pay attention to is the increased body temperature of the dog . It can reach 40 degrees. But the lack of temperature does not mean that the animal is healthy. Very often, in young puppies, the temperature does not rise, which in vain calms the owner.
  • Pet lethargy must alert the owner. Infected animals look depressed. They do not want to play, look lethargic, do not respond to the call of the owner.
  • If you examine areas of the body where there is no hair, you can see a rash that indicates the presence of a viral infection in the body.
  • As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhea occur . The dog's body is dehydrated, which brings additional torment.
  • Feeling the nose, you can see that it has become dry and very hot.
  • If the dog begins to refuse food, this can also serve as a confirmation of the disease. Refusal of food can be full or partial.
  • The skin begins to crack. After examining the paw pads and nose, you can find coarse cracked skin.
  • The dog begins to search for a dark secluded place for himself. She does not want to be under the bright rays of the sun.
  • Purulent contents begin to stand out from the eyes.
  • The dog begins rhinitis , accompanied by purulent discharge from the sinuses.
  • The pet quickly begins to lose weight, lose weight.
  • The disease progresses rapidly. Already in the 3rd week cramps in the animal appear. Most often, the dog begins to pull the failed hind legs behind him.
  • Reflexes of the animal weaken.
  • Seizures develop, somewhat reminiscent of epileptic.

The virus negatively affects all organs and systems, but most often the lungs become its target. In this case, the symptoms will be slightly different. Here are some things to watch out for:

  • Hard breath. The dog shows how difficult it is to breathe.
  • Looking into the mouth, you can see sore tonsils.
  • Occurring periodically sharp cough .
  • Purulent mucus appears from the nasal passages.
  • An increase in body temperature.

If the disease is localized in the intestine, then the animal refuses food completely. After examining the throat and tongue, you can see a white coating. Dog feces are liquid with offensive pungent odor; discharge color is most often yellowish. Diarrhea weakens the dog, it periodically begins to lose consciousness. Occasionally, small spots can be seen on the teeth.

A mild disease is diagnosed if the virus is localized in the skin. Body temperature is slightly increased, the only symptom is the appearance of blisters in areas free of hair.

Another type of disease is damage to the nervous system. The dog becomes overly aggressive, does not refuse food. By measuring the temperature, you can understand that the animal is in pain. The temperature is quite high. Periodically, the animal has convulsive seizures, similar to an epilepsy attack. The dog does not move much, when moving it is noticeable how it is limping. Hind legs may fail.

The disease can develop in an acute form, while the dog’s body is greatly depleted. Digestive problems begin. Diarrhea gives way to constipation . The eyes of the animal look unattractive. Crusts appear in the corners. The dog's coat becomes dull, traces of molting are visible. Usually, the acute form of the disease is fatal, even if treatment has been started.

Dog plague treatment

Dog plague treatment

There is no special drug specifically for the dog distemper virus. Everything that a veterinarian prescribes is aimed at maintaining the internal strength of the dog, strengthening immunity and the ability to overcome the virus on its own.

To eliminate paresis and reduce the excitement of a pet, special solutions of drugs are introduced. Treatment must be entrusted to an experienced veterinarian. Appointments can be the following: Midokalm is able to reduce muscle tone, Prozerin is effective against paresis. Appointment of Phenobarbital helps to cope with an overexcitation in an animal. If seizures similar to epileptic have begun, then use Finlipsin.

Complex therapy consists in the use of drugs supporting the body's vital functions: calcium gluconate, ascorbic acid in solution, glucose. The method of administration and dosage are prescribed by a specialist, taking into account the weight of the sick animal.

At home, the plague is also not treated!

A detailed story about the plague on the video

How to save a pet

Most importantly, according to veterinarians, it is necessary to vaccinate dogs from the plague. Inoculation is given to puppies whose age exceeds 3 months, then vaccination is carried out annually.

Healthy and strong dogs are much easier to tolerate the disease, so the condition of the pet must be monitored constantly. Nutrition , vitamin supplements help strengthen the immune system and protect the dog from infection.

Keep your pet clean. If the dog lives in the room, after walking it should wash its paws. The mat on which the pet sleeps must also be kept clean. Bowls for food and water for each dog should be individual. They are washed after each meal.

Do not let the dog roam the street on their own. She will surely find herself unsuitable acquaintances in the form of feral and sick relatives, who are most often carriers of serious diseases (plague, rabies ).

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