07 Mar Infectious Diseases of Dogs; Causes and Treatment (Part 2)

The most common dog diseases have their roots in infectious causes. It’s very difficult to avoid various diseases, especially infectious diseases in dogs. Obtaining the necessary information about the most common diseases and stoping them from infecting pets can play an effective role in preventing the spread of these diseases. Most infections are transmitted through the air and bloodstream. In addition, some infectious diseases can be spread through shared equipment, infected insects, or open wounds. In the first part, we explained distemper, giardia parasite, kennel cough and rabies. In this section, we will discuss the rest of these infectious diseases.

Causes of dog eye infection

So far, we have introduced various infectious diseases of dogs. But one type of infection that’s very common in dogs, especially puppies, is eye infection and inflammation. Of course, an eye infection isn’t a disease and is usually caused by other problems. Just like infection and inflammation of our eyes, this type of infection in dogs can have several causes:

• Viruses such as distemper, herpes virus, hepatitis and influenza
• Infectious bacteria such as brucellosis, leptospirosis and tick-borne diseases such as Lyme and ehrlichiosis
• Types of fungi and fungal infections of dogs
• Irritants such as smoke or shampoo
• Foreign objects such as dirt, grass seeds or the dog’s hair
• Impact and crash
• Types of dog parasites

Treatments 

Treatment for canine ocular infection is determined by the type and cause of the infection and inflammation and includes topical or systemic medications and ointments and eye drops. Therefore, it’s necessary to avoid home remedies in these cases and take the dog to the veterinarian to determine the sign of infection by performing an examination and tests.

Parvovirus

Infectious parvovirus is a contagious and viral disease that mainly affects puppies and young dogs. Parvovirus is one of the major causes of gastrointestinal diseases. it’s a dangerous disease that can kill a dog if left untreated. The virus is still present in the dog’s body from the time the dog is infected and the symptoms of the disease appear, until two weeks after the dog has recovered, and can be transmitted to other dogs through infected feces. Puppies and young dogs that aren’t vaccinated are more likely to get an infectious disease.

Symptoms include weakness and lethargy, anorexia, dehydration and fever, and in more severe cases vomiting and bloody diarrhea may occur. In cases where the severity of the disease is very high, symptoms such as shock, sepsis (blood infection) and even death may occur. Therefore, the best way to prevent this disease is to vaccinate the dog on time and to avoid exposing the dog to unvaccinated dogs.

Fungal infection of the dog dermatophyte or Ringworm

Ringworm is a type of infectious disease of dogs that is caused by a fungus called dermatophyte and affects most of the dog’s skin, hair and nails. This fungal infection can be transmitted to dogs through direct contact with an infected animal or environment. Skin lesions usually show up one to three weeks after infection. This fungal infection of the skin causes hair breakage, scaly skin spots and baldness in dogs. In some cases, acne-like bumps may appear on the dog’s skin. The face, ears, tail and legs are among the most common places affected by this infectious disease.

This dog skin condition usually resolves on its own, but some dogs may also need treatment for a fungal infection. It’s also a common disease between dogs and humans and can be transmitted to them. So it’s necessary to treat the dog as soon as possible to prevent the transmission of the disease. Washing with a special shampoo, antiseptic and antifungal drugs help accelerate the dog’s recovery and prevent it from spreading in the environment.

Canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV)

Infectious disease of the dog respiratory system is one of the most highly contagious viral diseases and one of the pathogens of infectious bronchitis or canine cough. This infectious disease of dogs is transmitted to other dogs through breathing and air or contact with infected dogs. Canine parainfluenza virus is especially found in shared living environments such as shelters and boarding houses. Dry or wet cough, fever, runny nose, weakness, lethargy, and loss of appetite are some of the signs and symptoms of this viral infection. Symptoms of parainfluenza may be similar to the flu in many cases, But the cause of these two diseases are two separate viruses and different treatments and vaccines are needed for treatment and prevention.