Prairie Dog Disease
Prairie dogs are originally from the grassy plains of western North America and belong to Order Rodentia. They have open rooted front teeth. Of the five species of prairie dogs, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is the only one that is kept as a pet. These dogs are called rodents because of their big size and are even known as burrowing squirrels. They are found in grey or brown color. These dogs should be given rabbit pellets or other hay grass as food.
Name of the disease, its symptoms/ signs-
1) Pneumonia-
It is caused by virus, bacteria or even yeast that are the effective carriers of this infection. Diseases relating to the respiratory system are widely found in prairie dogs. It has been observed over the last few years that the prairie dogs have respiratory problem because of thickening and over-growth of the tooth roots.
Symptoms Dyspnea or breathing problem, discharge from the eyes and nose, there is a loss of appetite and lethargy.
2) Obesity-
Another frequently occurring problem is obesity. It is found in prairie dogs as a result of over-feeding and lack of physical activity. But the essential thing to remember is that the natural body structure of prairie dogs is heavy and huge and obesity is usually ignored. So it is necessary to keep a track of their food habits.
Symptoms- As such there are no particular symptoms but the obesity causes heart disease and respiratory problems. So in case these things are found out its better to take the dog to the vet for any possibility of disease.
3) Heart Disease
This is a resultant of obesity and can further lead to respiratory problems. In prairie dogs the risk of heart disease is greater than other rodents.
Symptoms- sudden fainting, lethargy, problem in breathing, unwillingness to move around.
4) Ringworm-
Microsporum canis and Trichophyton mentagrophytes are the carriers of this fungal disease. But ringworm can also be caused by factors other than fungus.
Symptoms- Hair loss, increased pigmentation, and the skin over the chest, abdomen, tail, head thickens. It is however difficult to identify this disease as there is less or no itching at all.
Other diseases include pseudo-tuberculosis, dental disease, uterine infection and cancer.
Treatment/ Vaccination for prairie dog Disease
1) Pneumonia- Treatment involves aggressive anti-biotic therapy. Though this therapy is a part of curing the dog, it may not completely cure the bacterial disease and correction of predisposing factors is essential to eliminate the scope of relapse of this disease.
2) Obesity- This can not be completely cured but the disease can be kept under control by the way of treatment.
3) Heart disease can be avoided by keeping the diet of the dog under control.
4) Ringworm- Treatment involves given antifungal drugs.
5) Another important factor that can act as treatment is keeping the surrounding area of the prairie dog hygienic. This can be done by putting a control on the pests and parasites that cause most of the disease. Also there is culture control that includes habitat manipulation.
