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Diseases in Puppy
Like any baby, puppies also fall sick. Puppies get sick from virus, bacteria, protozoa, and fungus. In some cases, these diseases are fatal unless caught early and treated.
The most destructive puppy diseases are:
Distemper:- It is a viral and a highly contagious infection. Among puppies, the death rate from distemper often reaches 80 percent. The virus is spread through secretions in saliva, respiratory passages, urine, and faeces. Symptoms begin with high fever, diarrohea, cough, and teary eyes. In more advanced cases, pneumonia, neuro- convulsions and at times death also. Vaccines exist to prevent this disease.
Hepatitis or Adenovirus-1:- It is a contagious viral infection with symptoms similar to those of distemper along with, abdominal pain, inflammation in the mouth, vomiting and at times death within 24 hours. There is no cure, only supportive treatment. Vaccination is also available.
Leptospirosis:- This is transmitted through urine and is contagious to humans. Symptoms include lethargy, kidney inflammation, low-grade fever, vomiting, reddening of the mucous membranes and conjunctiva, and blood clotting. Lepto vaccines are usually not recommended unless there is a disease outbreak in the area. The vaccines help lessen the severity of the disease but do not prevent it and may not be effective for more than six months. Furthermore, puppies can have adverse reactions to the vaccine.
Parvovirus:- This virus can overpower a pup within hours of the first symptoms and result in death within 48-72 hours. It appears suddenly with bloody diarrohea and vomiting. Puppies under the age of six months are most susceptible to the disease. Symptoms include fever, drowsiness, anorexia, bloody watery stools. There is no treatment that kills the virus. Vaccination against parvovirus has dramatically reduced the incidence of the disease.
Corona virus:- This virus causes diarrohea and vomiting and is at times confused with parvovirus. It affects the digestive system is similar to gastroenteritis. Treatment involves replacing lost fluids. A vaccine is available but not widely recommended.
Kennel cough: It affects the pup’s respiratory system and causes bronchitis. Symptoms include a dry hacking cough, inflammation of the larynx, bronchial tubes, and trachea. Other symptoms include, runny nose, and cough. A combined kennel cough vaccination contains canine adenovirus-2, parainfluenza, and Bordatella in one dose of nose drops.
Rabies:- This is a fatal viral infection that is transmitted through bites or contact with saliva of a pup/dog that already has it. It is contagious to humans. The rabies virus is fatal once symptoms appear. Rabies vaccination is required necessarily by law because the disease is fatal to humans..
Lyme disease: Lyme is a bacterial disease spread by ticks. Symptoms in pups include lethargy, joint pain, lack of appetite, lymph node enlargement, and fever. Treatment is with the antibiotic tetracycline. Vaccine is available but is not widely recommended because protection is limited to no more than six months following inoculation.
Herpesvirus:- Herpes-virus is a viral disease causing sporadic death of a pup, and occasionally the death of an entire litter. Puppies over 3 weeks of age may contract CHV (canine herpes virus) but their illness is much less severe and usually appears as a mild respiratory infection. These puppies can shed the virus in their secretions for about 3 weeks after recovery. All treatment is aimed at supportive care.