That is why Melina Wajner, Veterinarian (MN 9218) in charge of the health team of puppiesthe renowned chain of stores specializing in products and services for pets, provides information on this disease to prevent it and be alert to the first symptoms.
The specialist points out that “the infection begins by affecting the respiratory system and can affect many organs or devices, including the nervous system, even this disease can cause different symptoms, depending on the phase or phases that occur: respiratory phase, digestive phase, nervous phase or skin phase”.
Wajner recommends being vigilant and taking into account the signs clinical, neurological and ocular to be able to act quickly:
Clinical signs: The disease begins with a feverish peak 3 or 6 days after infection, which can go unnoticed; followed by a second temperature spike, which is associated with nasal and ocular discharge, depression, and anorexia.
The clinical signs will depend on the virulence of the acting strain, environmental conditions, age and immunological status of the patient. Initially, there are nonspecific signs such as apathy, anorexia, hyperthermia, and compromise of the upper airways, followed by bilateral nasal and ocular exudate, which becomes mucopurulent as days go by, accompanied by cough, and in the most severe cases, dyspnea. (respiratory distress) and pneumonia.
The clinical form is often severe and presents with a profound multisystem impairment, can affect animals of any agealthough puppies aged 12 to 16 weeks are the most susceptible due to decreased maternal antibodies.
Digestive signs are gastrointestinal disorders that course as vomiting, diarrhoea, hyporexia and anorexia, leading to significant dehydration and weight loss. They are not always present and can be aggravated by a secondary bacterial infection.
We can also observe dental problemssuch as loss of enamel, if the disease occurs before tooth replacement.
In addition, neurological signs are the most important to predict the prognosis of the disease. Depending on where in the nervous system is affected, many dogs experience nerve abnormalities but not always accompanied by systemic disease. They may present claudication (limp), muscle spasms and tremors (tics), ataxia, seizures and myoclonus, encephalitis, cervical rigidity, hyperesthesia, para or tetraparesis.
These signs cannot be predicted or avoided, and depend on the aggressiveness of the acting strain and the patient’s immune level.. Hyperkeratosis of the footpads is usually indicative of the later neurological phase of the disease.
On the other hand, with regard to ocular signs, the most significant lesions are neuritis, retinal detachment and even blindness. We can also see patients with corneal ulcers and conjunctivitis.
“Because it is a highly fatal disease for puppies, we must be attentive to prevention and for this, vaccination is crucial to cover all their needs, since with an adequate health plan we can avoid it”, states Wajner and adds: “It is always important to go to the family veterinarian and follow their instructions if something is not right with the pets, since, if detected in time, the problem is likely to be solved much faster”.
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
