Dog Diseases
In caring for our pet’s health, we should be aware of the possible diseases that can affect them. Just like human beings, dogs can come down with a variety of illnesses. It’s important that you get pet insurance. The most serious canine diseases include rabies, distemper and parvovirus. This article will provide an overview of these afflictions.
Rabies. Although commonly associated with dogs, this disease can affect any warm blooded animal including humans. Rabies is caused by a virus called lyssa virus. This virus attacks the nervous systems which is why rabid dogs go mad and become very dangerous. Mad dogs are very aggressive and no longer recognize their owners so they will just bite anyone. When an animal is infected by rabies, the virus travels through muscle tissue on its way to infect the brain. Once the nervous system is infected, it spreads to the skin and saliva. The dog bite now becomes very contagious because the saliva carries the virus.
Distemper. This is a dreaded disease also caused by a virus called canine distemper virus or CDV. It affects the central nervous system, respiratory system and gastrointestinal system of the animal. Puppies under 6 months of age are very susceptible to this disease and the disease will most likely be fatal. Vaccination has kept the number of cases of distemper under control for domestic dogs. Distemper can also affect other carnivorous mammals like raccoons and foxes. It is quite common in wildlife. The distemper virus particles can travel by air and is contracted by dogs just by inhalation. Symptoms include loss of appetite and fever. Dogs that die due to this disease mostly succumb to neurological complications.
Parvovirus. As the name suggests, this highly contagious disease is caused by a virus which we call canine parvo virus or CPV. Modern vaccines have already been developed but research shows some vaccinated dogs still contract the disease. This is due to the fact that there are other variations of the virus which the vaccine cannot deal with. The most characteristic symptom of this disease is severe or bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms include fever and vomiting. CPV can be transmitted by the infected feces of the dog. Any object or furniture that comes in contact with the virus can also become a source of infection. Some studies have shown that larger breeds such as