Content
- What is canine parainfluenza?
- Canine Parainfluenza Symptoms
- What should I do if I think my dog has canine influenza?
- Canine parainfluenza treatment
- Prevention of canine parainfluenza
Anyone who has a dog has an unconditional friend and that's why our pet deserves the best and we as owners must give it a continuous and complete state of well-being, but unfortunately this doesn't just mean giving it adequate nutrition. , take him periodically to the vet and pamper him, since our dog will always be susceptible to various diseases.
For this reason it is important that we keep ourselves informed about what diseases can affect our dog and through what symptoms they can manifest themselves. In this way we can act quickly and properly, which will be vital for your recovery.
To make this task easier, in this PeritoAnimal article we show you the canine parainfluenza symptoms and treatment.
What is canine parainfluenza?
Canine parainfluenza is a virus that belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae, and together with other groups of pathogens is responsible for canine infectious tracheobronchitis, which is popularly known as kennel cough.
this virus airborne from one dog to another (this is why it is common to find it when several dogs live together, hence the name kennel cough), this transmission occurs through small drops that dogs secrete through their nose and/or mouth.
The canine parainfluenza virus fixes and replicates in the cells that cover the trachea, bronchi and bronchioles, nasal mucosa and lymph nodes, mainly causing a clinical picture at the respiratory level.
Canine Parainfluenza Symptoms
It should be mentioned that canine parainfluenza has an incubation period that varies between 4 and 7 days, during this period the dog does not show any symptoms.
When the virus is already replicating, the most obvious symptom through which canine parainfluenza manifests is a severe dry cough that ends with arches, however, depending on each case, it can also have the following symptoms:
- Nasal and ocular discharge
- Fever
- Lethargy
- loss of appetite
- bronchopneumonia
- Cough
- vomiting
- expulsion of phlegms
What should I do if I think my dog has canine influenza?
If you notice any of the symptoms in your puppy that we mentioned above, you should go to the vet urgently to determine the cause.
Canine parainfluenza is diagnosed by taking a sample of the nasal or oral mucosa in order to be able to isolate and identify the pathogen that is causing the symptoms. A blood test can also be performed to see if there is an increase in the blood of certain antibodies.
Canine parainfluenza treatment
The treatment of canine parainfluenza is usually symptomatic, since within a period of approximately 10 days the dog should have generated enough antibodies and will have conquered the disease, which we must clarify that it is benign.
As symptomatic treatment, antipyretic drugs (to reduce fever) and expectorants can be given to alleviate the accumulation of mucus in the airways.
However, the lesion that produces canine parainfluenza in the respiratory mucosa is used by multiple bacteria to colonize these areas and grow, therefore, it is usual for the veterinarian to start treatment with antibiotics to prevent any complications.
Prevention of canine parainfluenza
The vaccine against canine parainfluenza is included in the vaccination program for dogs, so it is enough to properly follow the vaccination schedule to prevent this disease.
In addition to taking this important measure, if our puppy is going to be continuously confined with other dogs, for example if we leave him in a canine hotel, then he should be specifically vaccinated against kennel cough.
This vaccine can be applied by nasal or intraparental route, and if it is the first vaccination, several doses are needed.
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.