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Infectious
Canine Hepatitus
Infectious canine hepatitis
refers to a type of inflammation of the
liver of dogs that can be transmitted from one dog to another. Until a
few years ago it was considered to be merely a modified form of
distemper, but now it is recognized as a distinct disease. The germ
that causes it is identical with one that causes a peculiar brain
inflammation in foxes, timber wolves, coyotes, and bears.
Among
domestic animals, it is exclusively a dog disease. It is not
transmissible to man. The disease occurs throughout the world, and it
affects dogs of all ages all through the year. Very young puppies,
between about five and eight weeks old, seem to be especially
susceptible to it, though it is also very common in older dogs.
The
average mortality rate is about twenty-five per cent, and very young
puppies seem to die from it much more often than older animals. It is
estimated that about fifty per cent of all dogs have had the disease
before they are one year old. It is thus an important disease, and if
it is even vaguely suspected, no attempt at home treatment should be
made. It is strictly a veterinary problem in which only the highest
skill and most meticulous care of the veterinarian can bring about
favorable results.
The disease is caused by a filterable virus and it is spread from dog
to dog only by direct contact with the saliva, vomited material,
stool, or urine of affected animals. The disease is not carried in the
air as is the distemper germ, for experiments have shown that if a dog
affected with the disease is confined in a cage, it cannot transmit it
to its healthy companion in a cage six inches away. The disease
appears very suddenly, for when susceptible dogs are exposed to the
infection
symptoms will appear very dramatically within only a few hours to a
couple of days. The progress of the disease is equally rapid. Most dogs
will either recover or die within a couple of weeks after symptoms
appear, and many will succumb within a few days or even within a few
hours. A dog that recovers from the disease is capable of transmitting
it to susceptible dogs by means of the urine for a period of as long as
six and a half months.
Dogs with infectious canine hepatitis show extreme distress, a loss of
appetite, and very often an intense thirst. The temperature may rise to
as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit; but later it decreases, and if the
animal is going to die, the temperature will fall well below the normal
of 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Vomiting and diarrhea are extremely common
in this disease, and very often the stool becomes amply tinged with
blood. Many affected animals moan in pain, especially when pressure is
applied to the abdomen. The eye membranes often become reddened and the
eyes may tear copiously.
The lining membranes of the mouth are usually
pale and the tonsils and throat area are red and swollen. From the
practical standpoint, the pet owner should always be on guard whenever
there is a sudden appearance of vomit¬ing and diarrhea combined with
inflamed throat and tonsils. Whenever this occurs, infectious canine
hepatitis should be suspected and the animal should be taken
immediately to a veterinarian. Affected animals will often show soft,
painless swellings of the head, neck, and the lower part of the
abdomen. Nervous symptoms are seldom seen. When they do take place,
the animal shows spasms of the neck and legs, and once in a while there
will be paralysis of the hind legs. As indicated, the entire course of
the disease may last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. In
general, it may be said that it is much more likely that the disease
will last longer in older dogs than in very young puppies.
Specific treatment of infectious canine hepatitis is ineffective. The
veterinarian merely treats the symptoms. However, if an animal recovers
from an attack of the disease, it develops a solid
immunity to it that is presumed to be permanent. An immune serum is now
available that is reported to have negligible curative and limited
preventive properties. It has also been claimed in some quarters that
the injection of canine distemper serum will temporarily prevent
hepatitis in healthy animals. This is highly questionable.
As for prevention, infectious canine hepatitis immune serum confers a
temporary immunity that lasts about two weeks. There is also a combined
distemper and hepatitis serum which can simultaneously confer a
temporary immunity against both distemper and hepatitis. A recently
developed hepatitis vaccine confers permanent protection after a
single injection. It is recommended that all dogs be vaccinated against
infectious canine hepatitis after they are nine weeks of age.
In recent years, a new vaccine has been produced which confers a
permanent immunity against both distemper and infectious canine
hepatitis in a single injection. This vaccination is most commonly
administered to puppies at any age over nine weeks. It has proven quite
successful and has rapidly become the favorite method of a great many
veterinarians.
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