Viral plague of carnivores (VChP), in simple language - plague, dogs and some species of wild animals get sick. Dogs are the most sensitive group to this disease, so among them the mortality rate is about 90% if there is no treatment. In the article, we will consider how carnivore plague is manifested in dogs, how it is diagnosed and how it is treated.
General information
The plague is a dangerous contagious infectious (viral) disease that proceeds in several forms:
- super acute (fulminant);
- subacute;
- spicy.
The disease causes a malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, causes fever, conjunctivitis, profuse diarrhea, acute catarrh of the mucous membranes, and skin exanthema.
In addition to dogs, the plague of carnivores affects furry and predatory animals (raccoons, wolves, foxes).
This disease is especially dangerous for puppies and young (from two months to a year) unvaccinated dogs. A weakened or unformed immunity also plays a negative role, which increases susceptibility to the plague pathogen.
Veterinarians say that most often this disease affects German shepherds, huskies, staff terriers, Chinese crested, bull terriers, Pekingese, lapdogs, pugs and collies. While resistance to plague is manifested in terriers and outbred dogs.
The disease has no seasonality, so animals get sick at any time.
Causative agent of the disease
Such a disease in dogs, like carnivore plague, results from infection with an RNA virus from the Paramyxoviridae family. It is resistant to many environmental factors:
- UV radiation
- sunlight;
- negative temperature.
At -20 ° C, this virus in animals can remain active for up to six months. It also does not lend itself to certain disinfectants, and formalin and bleach kill it only after three hours. In the dried form, the ability to infect retains up to four months, and heating to 100 ° C destroys the virus after only two minutes.
In the external environment, the causative agent of carnivore plague in dogs appears with feces or excretions of patients who have been ill or infected with a latent form of the disease of animals.
How does infection happen?
The main source of infection is the discharge of sick dogs:
- feces;
- urine;
- sputum;
- saliva;
- tears
- sweat;
- pus from pustules on the skin.
Of particular danger is the fact that the onset of virus isolation in a sick animal occurs even before the symptoms of carnivore plague in dogs manifest themselves clinically, and within ten days after recovery (in some cases, up to three months).
Methods of infection are also quite diverse:
- direct contact with a sick dog (airborne);
- through water, food and utensils;
- when using only toys and bedding;
- through the clothes of man.
The likelihood of infection increases in the wet season with a decrease in immunity, poor feeding and care.
When infected, the virus spreads through the bloodstream throughout the body, affecting the respiratory and circulatory organs, the immune, endocrine and nervous systems.
Incubation period and forms
The incubation period of the disease is from two days to three weeks. The only symptom of carnivore plague in dogs during this period is lethargy and poor appetite.
According to the method of flow, the disease is divided into such forms:
- Lightning fast - affects unvaccinated puppies at the age of two months. Of the signs - only high temperature. Fatal outcome occurs within a day.
- Acute - develops quickly, begins with high fever and loss of appetite, then cramps or paralysis. On the second or third day, the animal falls into a coma and dies.
- Subacute - the dog is in fever from two days to two weeks, depression sets in and appetite disappears. Then the characteristic signs of the disease appear.
- Chronic - after recovery, the disease progresses periodically.
By the method of manifestation and, accordingly, the method of treatment in dogs, carnivore plague is divided into the following forms:
- pulmonary;
- skin;
- intestinal;
- Nervous
- hard feet - pain and hyperkeratosis of the pads develop.
In eighty percent of cases, a disease occurs that combines several forms.
The course and spread of the disease
The virus penetrates mainly through the mucous membrane of the respiratory system, then enters the lymphatic system of the lungs. The reproduction of the pathogen occurs in immune cells (macrophages, lymphocytes, monocytes) and lymph nodes. In the first ten days, the entire immune system is affected, and complications caused by bacterial and fungal viruses develop.
Further, the spread of the disease continues through the circulatory system and lymph and captures all organs and tissues. Despite global infection, symptoms occur one at a time or one after another. Seven days later, nerve cells are affected, and after three weeks, the entire nervous system.
The chronic course of the disease in dogs becomes the nervous form of the carnivore plague, which is characterized by changes in the nature of the animal, the occurrence of paralysis and paresis, as well as epileptic seizures. If treatment is not applied and the disease develops further, the animal will die due to extensive paralysis of the nerve centers that control the functions of the heartbeat and respiration.
The course of the disease and its intensity largely depends on the immunity of the dog, the ability of its body to withstand the plague and related diseases.
Symptoms of animal plague
The plague occurs against the background of other infectious viral diseases that the animal has. This may be adenovirus, coronovirus infection, parvovirus enteritis in dogs.
Carnivore plague is manifested only by fever, lethargy, apathetic behavior, if the animals have a good resistance to the organism of the disease, after three to six months, recovery occurs.
The general clinical symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- body temperature rises above forty degrees;
- symptoms of intoxication are manifested - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
- gray-green purulent exudate is released from the eyes, ears and sinuses;
- weight loss and loss of appetite;
- the animal is very thirsty;
- coughing, runny nose appears, breathing is difficult;
- there is photophobia, lethargy;
- pads on paws thicken, skin on nose dries;
- coordination of movements is disturbed, the gait changes;
- spasms, paralysis, convulsions, tonic convulsions, seizures of epilepsy appear.
Accompanying illnesses
If toxins affect the brain, meningoencephalitis develops, which causes the dog to die. Carnivore plague also has a poor prognosis for central nervous system damage.
The intestinal form is characterized by symptoms of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver - vomiting, hypersalivation, diarrhea. Dogs fever, refuse to eat, drink a lot.
The pulmonary form of the disease causes shortness of breath, cough, rhinitis, inflammation of the auricles, upper respiratory tract, leading to bronchopneumonia.
The skin form of the plague is considered the easiest. It causes the appearance of a small papular-pustular rash in the peritoneum, tail, ears, on the inner thighs. Pustules are initially filled with liquid, then pus and burst, drying out and forming brown hard crusts.
Diagnosis of plague in dogs
Sometimes an atypical stage occurs, which is difficult to diagnose due to mild symptoms in carnivore plague dogs (and treatment is also difficult) - mild fever, changeable dog behavior. Fourteen days later, signs of a nervous form appear, and after another month the animal dies.
In the general case, the veterinarian diagnoses the disease through regional epizootological data and clinical signs of the disease. To confirm the diagnosis, biochemical and laboratory studies, hematological analyzes and differential diagnostics are performed.
The following indicators are examined to determine carnivore plague in dogs:
- neutralization reaction;
- PH;
- immunofluorescence;
- indirect hemagglutination reaction;
- RDP;
- susceptibility bioassay.
Dog plague treatment
After receiving the tests and establishing a diagnosis, the veterinarian prescribes an individual treatment regimen aimed at restoring immunity and functioning of organs, as well as stopping signs of the underlying and associated diseases.
The article provides a description and photo of the symptoms of carnivore plague in dogs. Treatment on the first day begins with antibiotics. In parallel, drugs are prescribed for etiotropic, replacement and pathogenetic therapy, physiotherapeutic procedures, hyperimmune serums.
Also, sick animals are prescribed:
- antihistamines, antipyretic drugs (analgin, Diphenhydramine);
- astringents, sedatives and antiviral agents ("Loperamide", "Midokalm". "Aminosine");
- vitamin and mineral complexes to maintain general condition;
- immunomodulators to correct the body's resistance;
- sulfonamides and painkillers ("Traumatin", "Baralgin");
- hepatoprotectors and expectorants;
- anti-inflammatory and topical drugs (Chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, Dexamethasone).
To restore the functions of the digestive tract, nutrient and water-salt solutions are used, specific diets and enzymes are prescribed. After a course of antibiotics, the pet is given probiotics (Bifidumbacterin).
The fulminant and super-acute forms give a completely unfavorable prognosis, the combined one is often unfavorable, and all the others, with timely treatment, lead to complete recovery and the establishment of lifelong immunity.
General disease prevention
Timely vaccination of dogs against carnivorous plague will help protect the pet from becoming infected with a dangerous virus. The first vaccination is given to puppies at the age of one and a half months, and then held annually. The appearance of immunity after vaccination does not occur immediately, but a month later (after revaccination).
To see the signs of a dangerous disease in time, pet owners should:
- pay attention to pets;
- monitor their health;
- systematically carry out hygiene procedures;
- to keep clean;
- feed correctly;
- include mineral and vitamin preparations in the diet;
- during walks to exclude contact with street dogs.
There are two vaccines against canine distemper in dogs:
- with a weakened virus - protects during the year, but gives complications in the form of fever and edema;
- with a dead pathogen - the effect is less pronounced, but there are no complications, the vaccine is repeated three times a year.
Among domestic vaccines, Hexacanivac and Multican-6.8 should be noted, and among foreign drugs, the use of Nobivac, Dipentovac, Pentodoga, Kanvaka, Hexodoga and Vangard is effective.
Revaccination is preferably carried out with the same drug as the first vaccine, in order to avoid conflict of strains in the composition of different drugs.
Most often, the reaction to the vaccine in animals does not occur, but mild swelling and soreness at the injection site, a slight increase in temperature may occur.
Before vaccination, the dog must be examined, and after it, to observe the pet.
Maintenance therapy
To alleviate the condition of the dog, the following recommendations should be followed:
- the room with a sick animal must be often aired;
- cleaning with disinfectants (bleach, Lysol, Creole);
- clean the dog from secretions and bowel movements;
- provide short-term walking without contact with other animals;
- cover the place of stay of the animal with disposable waterproof diapers, which are systematically changed;
- create a calm environment without bright light;
- maintain a comfortable temperature in the room;
- Do not feed the pet during the first day;
- provide proper nutrition and vitamins.
After a day of fasting, feeding begins with the broth, then give liquid or viscous cereals with boiled minced meat. Such a diet will stop vomiting and indigestion.
Milk is not recommended, but after a week you can add yogurt, acidophilus, cottage cheese to the menu. From the second week the dog is transferred to the usual diet with the addition of vitamins ("Vitam").
If antibiotic therapy was carried out, then for ten days after its completion, the pet is given enzymes to restore intestinal microflora.
Before you start a new puppy after the dog’s plague, you must destroy all the objects that were in its use. After this, quarantine is mandatory for up to six months. It’s better to bring an already vaccinated pet to the house.
We briefly described what the symptoms and treatment of canine distemper are in dogs. Photos of sick animals cannot but cause compassion. This is a very serious illness that often leads to the death of a pet. Therefore, it is the adoption of measures to prevent the ailment that will help to avoid this terrible disease.