9 common dog diseases

I will tell you about some of the most important diseases that affect dogs. I believe this is an important information for any dog owner, or anyone that would like to own a dog.

Rabies : I believe this is the most known disease. It’s a virus from the Rhabdoviridade family that when appears on a dog is always fatal. It attacks the nervous central system as the dog becomes very aggressive to other animals including humans. This disease is spread through bites and saliva. The first symptons are fever and slow eye reflexe and as the disease progresses the dog becomes more violent and starts barking a lot and in the latter stages the dog will start to lose his coordination. It is required to vaccinate your dog as soon as possible for this disease.

Obesity : 40% of dogs are obese, yes 40%!. It is a serious illness like in humans. It can be fixed by lots of exercise and proper diet food made especially for obese dogs, and especially in this cases stop giving them your left over’s

Parvovirus : Another viral disease that’s very infectious and most important it’s a fatal one. It attacks the dog’s intestines and the main symptoms are vomiting and bloody diarrhea and it can lead to a quick death. The virus is contract when the dog comes in contact with fecal matter on the ground. There are vaccines for this problem.

Leptospirosis : It’s an infectious disease that causes severe problems to liver and kidney, usually followed by bleeding. It is spread through contaminated urine or water. It’s a real problem to treat as the known treatments aren’t still 100% effective, but of course a vaccinated dog tends to be less prone to this disease.

Distemper : It’s one of the most important and dangerous viral diseases in dogs. It is always fatal. It is contracted through contact with infected dogs and/or infected feces. An infected dog will experience diarrhea, cough, nose discharges and eye problems. Future problems as the disease progress are usually related to the central nervous system and possibly paralysis. Through vaccination the probably of your dog getting this disease diminishes greatly.

Heartworm : It’s a parasitic disease that’s contracted through mosquito’s bytes. This parasites grow and multiply very rapidly specially in puppies and can cause infections in the dog’s heart. Symptons include cough, tiring and lethargy. Vaccination is required for all dogs.

CoronaVirus : It’s an infectious viral disease manly in the dog’s intestine. Similar to parvovirus disease. Causes loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration. Dogs are infected through contact with other infected dogs and/or feces.

Kennel Cough : It’s a respiratory disease that can be caused by various virus and bacteria like Bordatella bronchiseptica and parainfluenza vírus. It’s very important specially in kennels and shelters as the infectious agents are very contagious. The symptoms include inflammation of the larynx, bronchial tubes, and trachea and pneumonia.

Lyme Disease : Spread by ticks, this is an important bacterial disease. The symptoms include lethargy, joint pain, lack of appetite and fever. It can be treated with antibiotics like tetracycline . As it is a dangerous disease for humans also, it’s important to pay attention to any ticks on your dog and quickly remove them.