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Objectives1. To learn the major categories

of canine diseases

2. To learn the symptoms and causes of canine diseases

3. To learn the proper prevention and treatment for canine diseases

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Disease Categories

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Viral Diseases• Viruses are microscopic disease

agents, meaning they only exist to multiply in their host

• The majority of infectious dog diseases are caused by viruses

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Viral Diseases: Canine Distemper• Considered the most serious viral

disease of dogs

• About 50% of non-vaccinated, non-immunized dogs with the disease will develop the symptoms of the disease– of those, about 90% will die

• More common in pups younger than three months old

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Viral Diseases: Canine Distemper• Causes

– is caused by a virus closely related to the human measles virus

– is a highly contagious disease contracted through the air and contact

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Viral Diseases: Canine Distemper• Symptoms

– fever and depression– vomiting and bloody diarrhea– coughing and labored breathing– fits and nervous twitching– paralysis– inflammation of tissues around the eyes and

nose– can also cause a hardening of the nose and pads

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Viral Diseases: Canine Distemper

• Prevention and treatment– vaccine for the disease should be

administered every three to four weeks from six to 16 weeks of age with annual boosters

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parainfluenza• Is a highly contagious respiratory

disease causing upper respiratory disease and infectious tracheobronchitis

• Is considered to be one of the most predominant infectious respiratory diseases in canines

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parainfluenza• Causes

– disease can be contracted through direct contact or through the air

– environmental influences (i.e., drafts, cold, etc.) may promote susceptibility to the disease

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parainfluenza• Symptoms

– coughing – fever– nasal secretion– conjunctivitis– tonsillitis– lethargy– anorexia

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parainfluenza• Treatment

– vaccinations will curb the severity of the disease

– vaccinations should be given at four week intervals from eight to 16 weeks of age

– require annual revaccinations

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Viral Diseases: Infectious Canine Hepatitis• Is an extremely contagious viral

disease affecting the liver and other organs

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Viral Diseases: Infectious Canine Hepatitis• Causes

– is due to direct contact with an infected animal or contaminated objects

– also can be transmitted by inhalation or from fleas, ticks and mosquitoes

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Viral Diseases: Infectious Canine Hepatitis• Symptoms

– can range from mild to severe– nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite– jaundice, bleeding from the nose and gums– bloody vomit and diarrhea– enlarged abdomen– disorientation, seizures and coma– death occurs within five days– ¼ of infected dogs develop a temporary

clouded cornea

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Viral Diseases: Infectious Canine Hepatitis• Treatment

– is no known cure for the disease– use intravenous fluid replacement, fasting,

blood transfusions, antibiotics and eye drops as supportive treatments

– vaccinate• includes injections at 10 weeks, 14 weeks and

then yearly boosters• recommended by veterinarians

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Viral Diseases: Canine Coronavirus• Young pups are more highly

susceptible to clinical infections

• Detection methods include electron microscopy

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Viral Diseases: Canine Coronavirus• Causes

– virus in feces is the major source of infection

– environmental stresses (i.e., crowding, unsanitary conditions, stress during training, etc.) favor the development of the diseases

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Viral Diseases: Canine Coronavirus• Symptoms

– vomiting and diarrhea– feces is watery and streaked with blook– dehydration– depression– anorexic behavior– mortality rate is very low

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Viral Diseases: Canine Coronavirus• Prevention and treatment

– only method of prevention is to avoid contact with other dogs and their secretions

– disinfection of shelter and equipment with a 3% hypochlorite solution is effective in killing the virus

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parvovirus• Is an enteric disease usually attacking

pups between weaning age and six-months-of age– pups usually remain somewhat unhealthy

and weak for life

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parvovirus• Causes

– transmission occurs when dogs come in contact with the bodily fluids of infected animals

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parvovirus• Symptoms

– bloody diarrhea– diarrhea is foul smelling and sometimes

yellow in color– vomiting– high fever– lethargy

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Viral Diseases: Canine Parvovirus• Prevention and treatment

– is no known cure for the disease– use supportive therapy involving giving

fluids, regulating electrolyte levels, controlling the body temperature and giving blood transfusions

– vaccinate starting when pups are six-to-eight-weeks old

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Is the oldest and most well known of

canine diseases

• Primarily attacks the nervous system and causes encephalitis

• Is detected only by examining the brain, after death, for signs of infections

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Causes

– disease is transmitted by body fluids, urine, saliva and blood

– primary source of rabies is the bite of a rabid animal

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Symptoms

– death occurs three to seven days after signs begin to show

– three phases of the disease exist:1. Prodomal stage

2. Furious stage

3. Paralytic stage

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Prodomal stage

– lasts two to three days– symptoms include:

• behavioral changes• fever• slow eye reflexes• chewing at the bite site

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Furious stage

– lasts two to four days– signs include:

• irritability• restlessness• barking• aggression• vicious attacks on inanimate objects• unexpected roaming

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Paralytic stage

– lasts two to four days– paralysis develops– depression – coma– death from respiratory paralysis

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Viral Diseases: Rabies• Prevention and Treatment

– dogs are easily vaccinated– most counties and cities require dogs be

vaccinated– one of the highest compliance rates of all

routine dog vaccinations– all dogs should be vaccinated

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Bacterial Diseases• Are caused by a bacteria

• Bacteria is microscopic in size and rapidly multiplies in ideal environments

• Produces a toxin causing the disease affecting normal activity

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Bacterial Diseases: Canine Leptospirosis• Is an acute infectious disease• Is diagnosed by lab testing blood and urine• Causes

– contact with infected urine– ingestion of urine-contaminated water (most

common)– contact with organisms during breeding or

gestation– contact with eye membrane, bite wounds or

abrasions– ingestion of the flesh from an infected animal

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Bacterial Diseases: Canine Leptospirosis• Symptoms

– depression and loss of appetite– fever, jaundice and uremia– vomiting– excessive urination, dehydration and

excessive thirst– difficulty breathing– muscular tremors

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Bacterial Diseases: Canine Leptospirosis• Treatment and

prevention– vaccines are available– infected dogs should

be quarantined and areas of contamination should be washed and disinfected

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Bacterial Diseases: Lyme Disease• Causes

– transmitted through a tick bite– tick must remain attached to the skin for at

least one day before the bacteria can be transmitted

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Bacterial Diseases: Lyme Disease• Symptoms

– generalized pain and swollen joints– anorexia– high fevers– lameness– can lead to neurological disorders– swollen lymph nodes

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Bacterial Diseases: Lyme Disease• Treatment and prevention

– can be controlled by antibiotics– treatment is long– prevention is possible by keeping ticks

away from your dog– a vaccine is now available

• is given twice at two week intervals and annual revaccination is necessary

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Bacterial Diseases: Brucellosis• Symptoms

– are associated with the reproductive tract– for females is abortion after 45 to 55 days of

gestation– for males is epididymus of one or both testes

• semen from males contains larger numbers of abnormal sperm and inflammatory cells

– can also include• lethargy• loss of libido• premature aging• lymph node enlargement

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Bacterial Diseases: Brucellosis• Treatment and prevention

– principle control strategy is elimination of infected dogs

– yearly testing of all breeding stock is needed for prevention

– treatment is expensive and difficult – males frequently remain sterile

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Genetic Diseases• There are more

than 300 dog diseases caused by the animal’s own genetic makeup

• The impact of many genetic diseases can be alleviated through breeding practices

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Genetic Diseases: Cataracts• Is a clouding of the normally clear

• Causes– most are genetically transmitted– other reasons are:

• age-related• trauma• dietary deficiency• electric shock• toxin

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Genetic Diseases: Cataracts• Symptoms

– bumping into objects– failing to retrieve favorite toys– fear of being left alone

• Treatment and prevention– surgery is the only way to remove cataracts– an intraocular lens is implanted during

surgery– 90 to 95% of patients have good to excellent

vision after surgery

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Genetic Diseases: Canine Hypothyroidism• Is the most commonly diagnosed

endocrine disease of dogs• Is underproduction of the hormone

thyroxin, which is produced by the thyroid gland– thyroxin controls growth and maintains normal

protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism

• Mostly occurs between two and six years old

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Genetic Diseases: Canine Hypothyroidism• Causes

– most cases are due to genetic makeup– other causes include:

• surgical removal of the gland• cancer• low iodine in the

diet

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Genetic Diseases: Canine Hypothyroidism• Symptoms

– increases body weight; most common

– develops a skin disease

– decreases exercise and becomes lethargic

– develops reproductive problems

– is often called the great imitator because it shows disease symptoms for other diseases

• Treatment– a thyroid hormone supplementation is given orally

once or twice daily

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Genetic Diseases: Diabetes Mellitus• Is a metabolic disorder signaled by a

congenital or acquired inability to transport sugar from the blood into cells

• Is more commonly found in middle aged to older dogs

• Symptoms– drinking excessively– urinating excessively– losing weight

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Genetic Diseases: Bloat• Is a serious, life threatening condition• Can occur in any breed or age of dog• Enlarges stomach due to extreme gas,

dilation or a twisting of the stomach• Clogs the esophagus preventing the stomach

from relieving gas by belching• Blocks food from the intestines and prevents

vomiting• Compresses one of the major veins carrying

blood to the heart resulting in abnormal blood circulation, which leads to shock and death

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Genetic Diseases: Bloat• Causes

– usually affecting deep chested and large breed dogs

– eating rapidly– being underweight– having a fearful or anxious temperament– males are more likely to bloat than

females

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Genetic Diseases: Bloat• Symptoms

– anxiety and restlessness– whining, pacing and heavy

panting– salivating, gagging and shallow breathing– dry vomiting– abdominal swelling after meals– excessive heartbeat, weak pulse and off

colored gums

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Genetic Diseases: Bloat• Treatment and prevention

– expensive and complicated treatments through veterinarians; not always successful

– treat shock with I.V. fluids and steroids– antibiotics and anti-arrythmics– stomach depression– surgery required in many cases– feed two to three meals a day– discourage rapid eating– prevent exercising until two hours after a meal

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Parasitic Disease

• Can live internally in the form of worms or protozoa

• Can live externally in the form of fleas and ticks

• If severe infections are left untreated, can be fatal

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Parasitic Diseases: Coccidiosis• Is an infection from a one-celled

organism

• Is diagnosed by microscopic examination of a stool sample and blood test

• Causes– dogs are contaminated through egg

ingestion

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Parasitic Diseases: Coccidiosis• Symptoms

– most dogs infected do not have any clinical signs

– pups and weak adult dogs affected may have diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal distress and vomiting

– death may occur in severe cases

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Parasitic Diseases: Coccidiosis• Treatment and prevention

– antibiotics given for one to 14 days are used to eliminate the disease

– re-infection is common, so the dog’s environment needs to be disinfected

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Quiz1. What are the four categories canine

diseases can be classified as?

2. _______ are microscopic disease agents, meaning they only exist to multiply in their host.

3. _______ is considered the most serious viral disease in dogs.

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Quiz4. _______ is the oldest and most well

known of canine diseases.

5. What are the three stages for rabies?

6. _______ is caused by the bite of a tick.

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Quiz7. A _______ is a clouding of the

normally clear lens of the eye.

8. _______ is the most commonly diagnosed endocrine disease in dogs.

9. There are more than 300 diseases caused by an animal’s ______ ________.

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Acknowledgementshttp://www.lbah.com/Canine/Canine_Diseases.htmlhttp://www.dresslersdog.com/diseases.htmlhttp://www.br.cc.va.us/vetech/candis.htm

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