Common Dog Diseases Symptoms
Rabies
This disease is transferable to humans from dogs, if an infected animal bites them. A virus is the root cause of rabies and animals contract it from other infected animals. The virus which causes rabies attacks the dogs central nervous system and makes it hydrophobic as a result.
There are three stages of rabies in the first stage, your dog shows minor changes in behavior and a certain degree of aggression. In the next stage, worsens the condition as there is an increase in the level of aggression, barking and irritability of your dog and lastly, your dog will not be able to move about properly as he will lose all coordination. This results in ultimate death. Rabies cannot be treated, but there is a vaccine HDVC - for it.
Heartworm
Heartworm is a disease which is caused by sniffing the feces of other dogs. It is spread through parasites. It rapidly spreads and grows and causes infection of the heart and this finally results in the death of your dog. Symptoms of heartworm include coughing up of blood and difficulty breathing, weight loss, bloating of the abdomen and egestion of blood along with urine.
The good news is that heartworms can be treated, via injections of Immiticide. Surgical removal of heartworms is also possible.
Distemper
This common dog disease is again contracted through the feces of other dogs who are afflicted with this disease. Symptoms of this disease are diarrhea, coughing, accompanied by discharges from the eyes and nose and ultimate paralysis.
There is no effective treatment for this condition, but there is a vaccine which can prevent your dog from becoming afflicted with this killer disease. Vaccines made from canine tissue-culture are very effective as prevention for this common dog disease.
Common Tick-borne Diseases in Dogs
Tick borne diseases in dogs are a serious problem, especially in areas where it is an endemic. These areas include all the states which lie between and include Massachusetts and Virginia. California too, has been known to be home to the tiresome ticks! Of course cases of tick borne diseases have been reported in all 50 states of U.S.A, but these have generally occurred when the victim in question has visited the endemic areas.
Lyme disease
This is probably one of the most common tick borne diseases in dogs. The culprit? The deer tick which is a carrier of the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, with temperatures going up to the range of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit.
A marked lethargy, difficulty walking, lack of appetite and even swelling of joints are common symptoms of Lyme disease. This can be treated with the help of antibiotics like tetracycline, penicillin based Amoxicillin and Cephalosporins. You can also do away with the possibility of your dog contracting this disease all together by vaccinating him or her.
Babesiosis
This disease can be fatal as it may be instrumental in your dog developing Hemolytic Anemia. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and deterioration of the body, difficulty breathing, diarrhea and general weakness. You can treat this condition by administering imidocarb diproprionate to your dog, phenamidine isethionate or pentamidine isethionate. Vaccines are also available to prevent your dog from contracting this deadly disease.
Ehlichiosis
Transmitted by the brown dog tick, the Lone Star tick and the American dog tick, this disease is responsible for your dog developing Thrombocytopenia. This is a very infectious disease and its symptoms include hemorrhaging, anemia, tiredness, fever, and vomiting, increased levels of thirst and frequency of urination.
Treatment of Ehrichliosis involves the prescription of tetracycline or doxycycline. But in chronic cases, dogs fail to respond to these medicines and die an untimely death. What is worse is that no vaccine is available to prevent your dog from developing this condition.
Other tick borne diseases in dogs include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasmosis, Encephaltis and Hepatozoonosis. Tick-borne diseases in dogs are major problems, so protecting your dog from them is every dog-owners responsibility.
Diseases which must feature on The Complete List Of Dogs Diseases
Every responsible dog-owner should posses a complete list of dogs diseases. After all, if we dont watch our pets back then who will? Dogs are susceptible to a lot of diseases which we humans are susceptible too, but there are some diseases which are unique to dogs or species which are closely related to dogs. Whatever the type of disease, a dog-owner must always be prepared for the worst. Here are a few diseases which dogs are commonly afflicted by.
Rabies
This is a fatal disease which can be passed from dogs to humans as well, by the bite of an infected animal. This is a disease in which the nervous system gets degenerated and it has three distinct phases the first stage in which the dog begins to show mild behavioral differences, including am increased level of aggression, in the second stage the dog becomes increasingly aggressive and irritable and prone to biting others and in the last stage the dog loses al coordination and the nervous system wastes away. This viral disease can be prevented by a vaccine, but has no treatment.
Leptospirosis
This is a bacterial disease which affects dogs and humans alike so it is essential to include it in a complete list of dogs diseases. Symptoms of Leptospirosis include a fever in which the dog may experience temperatures of up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit, diarrhea, vomiting, and kidney pain.
Ultimately this disease may even lead to kidney or liver failure. Antibiotics like penicillin, doxycycline, amoxicillin, are used to treat this condition. Dialysis may also be required. Vaccination may be done twice a year to prevent the dog from contracting this disease.
Blastomycosis
This is a fungal disease which afflicts both dogs and humans. Dogs however are ten times more likely to develop this disease. Symptoms emulate flu-like illnesses, anorexia, and weight loss, lesions in eyes, development of a cough, difficulty breathing, skin lesions and fever. Antifungal agents are used to treat this condition.
Leishmaniasis
This is a parasite borne disease and again, affects both dogs and their owners alike. Symptoms of this disease include lesions of the skin, dermatitis, swollen lymph nodes, kidney failure and weight loss. Treatment is accomplished by Allopurinol which is a pentavalent antimote. A vaccine for this disease is being developed. These diseases and many, many more comprise a complete list of dogs diseases, which every dog-owner should keep at hand!
