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Vaccines are important factors in keeping your dog healthy. They are given to prevent the development of specific infectious disease. Four vaccines are available to prevent your dog from getting some life-threatening diseases. Click a specific disease name to link to the description:
Canine distemper virus (CDV) causes a highly contagious disease of dogs and all animals in the Canidae family (dingo, fox, coyote, wolf, jackal), the Mustelidae family (ferret, mink, skunk, badger, marten, weasel, otter), and the Procyconidae family (raccoon, panda, kinkajou, coati). CDV is a relatively labile virus, meaning it does not stay in the environment for long periods. CDV is transmitted by aerosol droplets from all body excretions of infected animals, and infection spreads rapidly among susceptible dogs. After CDV exposure, a transient fever occurs without overt signs of disease. Coughing, diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, and weight loss with debilitation commonly follow. Ocular and nasal discharges and pneumonia may occur from secondary bacterial infection. A skin rash progressing to pustules may occur on the abdomen. Muscle spasms, chewing gum seizures, weakness, incoordination, circling, muscle rigidity, vocalization as if in pain, fear responses, and blindness are common neurologic signs of acute CD. Neurologic signs may also have a delayed onset, weeks or months after recovery from unapparent infections or after recovery from acute CD. Dogs that survive may have residual neurologic deficits. CDV has also been associated with chronic encephalitis in older dogs. The clinical signs include incoordination, weakness in pelvic limbs, visual impairment, head tilt, facial paralysis and head tremors. As the encephalitis progress dogs become mentally depressed, develop compulsive circling or head pressing and show temperament changes. Infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) is a multisystemic viral disease that affects primarily the liver of dogs and foxes. ICH is caused by canine adenovirus type 1. The virus is moderately resistant and survives in the environment for days to months, depending on the temperature and humidity. During acute ICH the virus is present in all body excretions. Contamination of the environment occurs from shedding of virus in feces and urine. Clinical signs of ICH occur in young dogs. The incubation period is four to seven days. Fever, depression, and lethargy are early signs. Later signs include reluctance to move, abdominal tenderness, pale mucous membranes, lack of appetite, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis. Dogs with uncomplicated ICH usually recover after an illness lasting three to five days. In more severe cases hemorrhages may occur. Bleeding times are prolonged, with coagulation abnormalities. Neurologic signs related to vascular damage may occur. Abdominal distention may result from fluid accumulation. Enlarged liver occurs. The prognosis is guarded in dogs with multisystemic involvement. Any contagious respiratory disease of dogs that is manifested by coughing is referred to as infectious tracheobronchitis or kennel cough. Incriminated viruses include CAV-2 and canine parainfluenza (CPI). Viral causes of kennel cough, may damage the respiratory epithelium to such an extent that invasion by various bacteria results in severe airway disease. CAV-2 is moderately resistant and can survive for months in the environment. CPI virus is relatively labile and does not survive long in the environment. CAV-2 and CPI virus are transmitted by aerosol droplets. Both viruses cause localized infections of the respiratory tract and are shed in respiratory secretions. The primary sigh of CAV-2 or CPI virus infection is paroxysmal coughing of varying frequency and intensity. Fever and decreased appetite are variable. Coughing results from irritation at the Tracheal-bronchiolar level of the respiratory tract. The cough associated with secondary tracheitis may act as a continued source of irritation, perpetuating the tracheitis. Infectous Tracheobronchitis/Bordetella Infectious canine tracheobronchitis, also known as canine respiratory disease and kennel cough is not a single disease but a clinical disease syndrome. Involved in this multietiology syndrome are infectious agents such as viruses, and bacteria. The most commonly incriminated agents are canine parainfluenza virus, canine adenovirus and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Infectious canine tracheobronchitis is highly contagious and most commonly occurs where groups of dogs of different ages and susceptibility are congregated. There is almost always a history of exposure to other animals, as in a kennel, hospital, or dog show. Aerosol or direct contact is considered the main source of exposure. Clinical signs usually develop three to five days after initial exposure. A dry hacking paroxysmal cough is the most consistent sign. Nasal discharge may be noted. Generally the animal is healthy in other respects. Bordetella bronchiseptica commonly associated with this condition may require three months for full clearance to occur. Natural canine parvovirus (CP) infection may occur in domestic dogs, bush dogs, coyotes, crab-eating foxes, and wolves. Canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2) is the primary cause of systemic and intestinal infections in domestic dogs younger than 6 months old. During the past 20 years CPV-2 has undergone genetic alterations in the dog, developing new virus strains. These CPV-2 alterations were genetic adaptations, enabling the virus to replicate and spread more effectively. CPV-2 is extremely stable and resistant to adverse environmental influences. CPV-2 can persist on inanimate objects, such as clothing, food pans, and cage floors, for longer than 5 months. Most detergents and disinfectants fail to inactivate CPV-2 strains; one exception is sodium hypochlorite (common household bleach). Most CP results from exposure to contaminated feces. In addition, people, instruments, insect, and rodents can serve as vectors. Dogs may carry the virus on their haircoat for as long as contaminated feces are attached to the hair shafts. With newer CPV-2 strains, the incubations period can be as brief as four to six days. Acute CP can be seen in dogs of any breed, age, or sex. CPV-2 spreads rapidly among dogs via oronasal exposure to contaminated feces. CP is associated with disease in two distinct organ systems: the gastrointestinal tract, which is most common, and the myocardium, which is rare. The severity depends on the animal's age, stress level, breed, and immune status. The most severe infections are usually seen in puppies younger than 12 weeks old, because they lack protective immunity and have an increased number of growing, dividing cells. CP may progress rapidly, especially the newer CPV-2 strains. Vomiting is often severe and is followed by diarrhea, lack of appetite and rapid onset of dehydration. Yellow-grey feces can be streaked or darkened by blood. Elevated rectal temperature. Death can occur as early as two days after the onset of illness. CPV-2 myocarditis can develop from infection in utero or in puppies younger than 8 weeks old. Signs of cardiac dysfunction may be preceded by the enteric form of CP or may occur suddenly without apparent previous illness. Mycocarditis occasionally occurs in puppies born to unvaccinated mothers. Canine Coronavirus (CCV) is a cause of acute gastroenteritis in most Canidae. CCV is fairly resistant and can remain infectious for long periods during winter months. CCV can be inactivated by most commercial detergents and disinfectants. CCV is shed in the feces of infected dogs for two weeks or longer, and fecal contamination of the environment is the primary source for its transmission. The clinical signs can vary, and dogs of any breed, age, and sex are affected. Infected dogs usually have a sudden onset of diarrhea preceded sometimes by vomiting. The feces are orange, malodorous, and infrequently contain blood. Loss of appetite and lethargy are common signs. Fever is not constant. In severe cases, diarrhea can become watery, and dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can follow. Most affected dogs recover naturally after 8 to 10 days. When secondary complicating factors are present, the clinical course of CCV can be prolonged. Rabies is an acute viral encephalitis characterized by altered behavior, aggressiveness, progressive paralysis and death in warm-blooded animals. Rabies virus is a labile virus that does not persist in the environment. Sunlight, warm temperature, drying and common disinfectants destroy its infectivity. All warm-blooded animals are susceptible to rabies virus, with skunks, wild canids, raccoons, bats, and cattle being the most susceptible. Dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats, nonhuman primates, and humans are intermediate in susceptibility. Wild animals are the primary rabies reservoirs, but domestic animals are the principal source for transmission of rabies to humans. Infections occur by contact of infected saliva from a rabid animal with nerve endings or damaged nerve fibers as a result of a bite. Contamination of a fresh wound with saliva containing rabies virus, or rabies virus making contact with the conjunctiva or mucosa of the nose, can also result in rabies transmission. The incubation period from the time of exposure to the onset of clinical rabies is usually three to eight weeks, but it can vary from one week to more than one year. The location of the bite, type of exposure, and amount of virus present at exposure are the important factors that affect the incubation period. After rabies virus inoculation, it migrates in peripheral nerve fibers to the central nervous system and eventually affects the neurons. After the virus reaches the brain and multiplies in neurons, it migrates in nerve fibers from the central nervous system to the salivary glands, allowing for shedding of virus in the saliva and further transmission. The stages of rabies are prodromal, furious, and paralytic. The prodromal stage is characterized by change in behavior and temperament, such as restlessness, snapping at imaginary objects, or vocalization at the slightest provocation. The prodromal stage usually lasts for two to three days and is followed by the furious stage. Dogs may show prominent excitability to external stimuli or may be easily excited and attempt to bite or ingest anything including solid objects such as wood, metal, and fences. Self-stimulation may occur. Viral- induced damage may cause seizures, and paralysis of the back legs. Paralysis of muscles of swallowing is responsible for drooling of saliva and inability to swallow. Change of tone of vocalization, protrusion of third eyelids, pupil dilation, or pupil constriction may occur. The paralytic stage may last for two to four days and is followed by death due to respiratory arrest. Lyme borreliosis is one of a larger group of tick borne spirochetoses that affect people and animals worldwide. The Lyme disease group has been recognized more recently. It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, which is divided into at least four species affecting people and dogs worldwide. The primary established vectors causing Lyme borreliosis worldwide are various species of the Ixodes ricinus complex. As a model species in North America, Ixodes is a three-host tick with a 2-year life cycle. Infected nymphs overwinter, and in the spring they transmit infection to reservoir hosts, which in turn infect feeding larvae. Larvae and nymphs feed primarily on rodents and small mammals whereas adult ticks feed on deer or larger mammals. People and pets are usually infected by nymphs or adult ticks. Other ticks and insect vectors have been found to have Borrelia burgodrferi sensu lato but do not seem to maintain the infection or be important in transmission. The pathogenesis of the clinical syndrome is produced primarily by the host reaction to the organism, which has the ability to survive for extended periods in tissue. Following tick attachment, organisms enter host and spread into connective tissue, joints and other tissues. After several weeks of infection, organisms are present extremely small quantities in host tissues. The host inflammatory response to their presence cause disease manifestations. Clinical signs include fever, inappetence, lethargy, and episodic shifting limb lameness related to polyarthritis. The dermatologic lesion of expanding erythema around the site of a tick bite has not been well document in affected dogs. Renal failure has also been observed. Research suggests that the organism is difficult to eliminate from animals with established infection, and relapses occur despite seemingly adequate treatment regimens. Aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids may be helpful for pain relief. Leptospirosis, a disease of worldwide significance in many animals, is caused by infection with antigenically distinct serovars of the motile spirochetal bacterium Leptospira interrogans sensu lato. Domestic and wild animals serve as potential reservoirs of infection for humans and other animal hosts. Leptospires can be transmitted directly between animals by close contact as the organism penetrates the mucosa. Shedding by infected animals is usually via the urine. Indirect transmission, which is more frequent, occurs through exposure of susceptible animals to a contaminated environment especially one with stagnant or slow- moving warm water. Leptospires multiply rapidly upon entering the blood vascular space and produce damage to many organs in susceptible hosts. Inflammation caused by initial replication of the spirochete causes damage to the kidneys and liver. Renal colonization occurs in most infected animals because the organism can persist in renal tubular epithlial cells. Coagulation dysfunction in severe acute infection may occur. Clinical signs in canine leptospirosis depend on age and immunity of the host, environmental factors affecting the organism, and virulence of the infecting serovar. Peracute letospiral infections cause shock, and death. Less severe infections cause fever, vomiting, dehydration, increased thirst, and reluctance to move. Progressive deterioration in renal function results. A majority of leptospiral infections in dogs are chronic and subclinical, but the animals may have acute renal failure. This newsletter is intended to offer general information
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