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- What is botulism in dogs?
- Botulism symptoms in dogs
- How to Treat Botulism in Dogs
- Is botulism in dogs curable?
Botulism in dogs is a rare disease that affects the nervous system, causing paralysis. It is related to the consumption of bad meat, although there are other causes as well, as we will explain in this PeritoAnimal article.
Watching the foods that the dog has access to is part of the preventive measures. This is important because the prognosis will depend on each case. Some individuals recover spontaneously, while others may suffer with a fatal outcome. Keep reading and understand more about the botulism in dogs.
What is botulism in dogs?
Botulism in dogs is a acute paralyzing disease. This effect occurs due to the action of a neurotoxin, that is, a substance toxic to the central or peripheral nervous system. This particular toxin is produced by the bacteria. Clostridium botulinum, very resistant in the environment.
The dog gets the disease when it consumes decaying meat. This can happen when he eats carrion or if someone inadvertently offers him some meat that has been stored for many days, even if it has been cooked. That's why you should avoid giving leftovers to your dog or, at the very least, not offering them if they've been cooked for several days. Trash and buried food are sources of contamination. That's why botulism is more likely in dogs that live in rural areas or roam alone.
Another way to get botulism is by eating improperly canned vegetables or meat. Finally, it is important to know that botulism in dogs has a incubation period ranging from 12 hours to 6 days.
Botulism symptoms in dogs
The most prominent symptom of botulism is paralysis, which, moreover, can evolve rapidly, that is, it is progressive. It starts by affecting the hind legs and moves to the front. Also, you might notice incoordination, weakness or falls. The dog may lie down, with weakness and paralysis in all four limbs and even in the head and neck. He can only move his tail a little, with a feeling of being numb.
In these more serious cases, the dog cannot change position or turn its head. There is a flaccid state widespread. Muscle tone is also diminished. Pupils appear slightly dilated. Paralysis can affect swallowing and therefore you will notice sialorrhea, which is the inability to retain saliva within the mouth, although its production is likely to be affected as well.
Aspiration pneumonia is a complication of this condition. When it is the muscles related to breathing that are damaged, there is an increase in the respiratory rate. The severity of the condition depends on the amount of toxin ingested and the resistance of each dog.
How to Treat Botulism in Dogs
The first thing the veterinarian must do is confirm diagnosis. There are several illnesses that cause weakness and paralysis, so it is important to identify what they are. Differential diagnosis is made with paralysis caused by ticks, myasthenia gravis or hypokalemia, or low level of potassium in the blood.
The presence of this disease can be confirmed by the discovery of botulinum toxin in blood, urine, vomit or feces. Typically, a blood sample is collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis. This should be done early in the illness, so it is important to seek veterinary attention soon.
Dogs with a very mild condition are able to recover without the need for any treatment. However, even in these cases, it is necessary to go to the veterinarian to confirm or not the diagnosis. Anyway, the treatment will be supportive.
Dogs with a more serious condition need help to change position. They are given fluids given intravenously and their bladder must be manually emptied three times a day if they are unable to urinate on their own. If the dog has problems swallowing it will need support to eat you can offer to offer a bland diet. It is also common to prescribe antibiotics.
Is botulism in dogs curable?
It is not possible to give a single answer to this question, as the prognosis will depend on each case and the amount of toxin ingested. If the disease does not progress quickly, recovery is likely to be good and complete, even in dogs with paralysis of all limbs or swallowing problems. Also, it is worth remembering that There is no home remedy for botulism in dogs and the treatment must be done according to professional guidelines.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Botulism in dogs: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, we recommend that you enter our Bacterial Diseases section.