Content
- What is canine infectious hepatitis?
- Canine Infectious Hepatitis Symptoms
- Canine Infectious Hepatitis Treatment
- Prevention of canine infectious hepatitis
THE canine infectious hepatitis it is a very contagious viral disease. Fortunately, it is unusual because there is a vaccine that prevents it from developing. Thus, the extension of the vaccination schedule made it possible to reduce the number of cases today.
However, in case you do not know the dog's immune status, in this article by PeritoAnimal we will describe the symptoms that this disease produces, if you suspect that your partner may have it. We'll also explain about the treatments your veterinarian might recommend.
What is canine infectious hepatitis?
It is viral disease affects mostly unvaccinated puppies. Furthermore, most patients are puppies less than a year old. Canine infectious hepatitis is caused by a virus called canine adenovirus type 1.
When the virus comes in contact with the dog, it reproduces in the tissues and is excreted in all bodily secretions. In other words, it is through the urine, feces or saliva of sick puppies that infectious hepatitis can infect other puppies.
It's a disease that affect the liver, as the name implies, but also the kidneys and blood vessels. The clinical picture that the dog shows may be the result of a mild infection, but it usually evolves quickly into a much more serious infection and the consequences can be fatal.
Canine Infectious Hepatitis Symptoms
The symptoms of canine infectious hepatitis will depend on the severity with which the virus attacks the dog. When it is a moderate course, it is possible that the only symptoms are a decrease in appetite, apathy or reduction in normal activity. If the infection is acute, you will notice clinical symptoms such as the following:
- High fever;
- Anorexia;
- Bloody diarrhea;
- Blood vomiting;
- Photophobia (light intolerance);
- Tearing eyes;
- Inflammation of the tonsils.
It is also possible to observe the shrunken abdomen due to the pain that inflammation of the liver produces, spontaneous hemorrhages can be seen on the gums and on the skin of hairless areas and also jaundice, ie, a yellowish coloration of the skin and mucous membranes.
Also, in dogs that recover, there may be what we call a blue eye or interstitial keratitis, which is a kind of cloud over the cornea. It can affect one or both eyes and usually clears up spontaneously within a few days.
There is a clinical picture considered deadly characterized by sudden symptoms, which include bloody diarrhea, collapse and death in a few hours. If the dog is too young, it can die suddenly without having time to show symptoms. Remember the importance of vaccination, especially in puppies, to avoid this and other serious illnesses.
Canine Infectious Hepatitis Treatment
If your dog's symptoms are compatible with canine infectious hepatitis, your veterinarian can confirm the diagnosis by performing laboratory tests to isolate the virus, that is, to detect it in samples taken from the dog. In general, it will be necessary to admission to the clinic to receive intensive treatment.
This treatment will basically be supportive, as there is no specific drug that can eliminate the virus. Thus, the treatment aims to keep the dog in the best possible condition, hoping that its own immune system will be able to defeat the virus. Antibiotics are used to prevent secondary bacterial infections and medications are used to treat the presenting symptoms. The dog is at rest and the feeding for dogs with hepatitis is controlled.
Unfortunately, many die even receiving good care. Therefore, once again, it is worth emphasizing the importance of prevention by correctly following the vaccination schedule.
Prevention of canine infectious hepatitis
In addition to vaccinate and revaccinate your dog following the guidelines given by the veterinarian, you should keep the sick dog isolated from others to avoid contagion. It is important to know that when a dog manages to recover from infectious hepatitis, it will still remain infected for another 6 to 9 months, as the virus is still excreted in the urine and remains in the environment. It is also advisable to change clothes after handling the sick dog and disinfect the environment properly.
The prevention of this disease should aim to protect dogs because the hepatitis in dogs is not contagious to humans. It has nothing to do with the hepatitis that humans can develop. Protection against this infection is usually included in the tetravalent vaccine, the first dose of which is given to puppies at about eight weeks of age.
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 Canine Infectious Hepatitis: Symptoms and Treatment, we recommend that you enter our Infectious Diseases section.