Hepatitis In Dogs
17 Oct 2005
Free PDF Pet Ebook of the Day
The Pet Degu
Simply Right Click and choose Save As to save to your desktop! More FREE Natural Health, Wellness and Pet Ebooks at Remedies4.com!Hepatitis, a disease of the liver that is seen in several animals, including humans, is caused by a Viral Infection. Canine hepatitis is caused by the virus designated CAV-1 which is seen only in dogs. Humans and other animals are not at risk to contract hepatitis from the CAV-1 virus.
Like many viruses, CAV-1 first localizes and replicates in the lymph nodes and spreads into the bloodstream from there. Once in the blood, CAV-1 attacks several organs, most notably the liver, eyes, and kidneys.
Although hepatitis is a very serious disease, not all cases of CAV-1 infection lead to it and not all are serious. Some dogs show few or no symptoms after being infected. Some, on the other hand, especially young puppies, become seriously ill.
Once a dog is infected, there is no treatment that will destroy the CAV-1 virus. There is no cure. There is, however, a very good vaccine that can be given to puppies when they start their series of inoculations. The vaccine has greatly reduced incidents of canine hepatitis in the United States and Western Europe.
Not all cases of hepatitis are caused by the CAV-1 virus. Called idiopathic or periportal hepatitis, these cases of hepatitis are of unknown origin and occur in dogs that are five or six years old in most cases.
Symptoms of both CAV-1 hepatitis and hepatitis of unknown origin can include Vomiting, Diarrhea, weight loss, jaundice, Depression and weakness. Since there is no cure, a vet can only treat the symptoms to the best of his or her ability. Antibiotics are typically given to prevent further infections.
In most cases when a dog contracts CAV-1 the symptoms can be treated to keep the dog comfortable until the virus passes. Once that happens a dog is usually immune to the disease for the rest of its life. Survival rates are high for CAV-1 induced hepatitis with death usually occurring only in puppies.
Some specific breeds (most notably Doberman Pinschers and certain terriers) can develop and suffer from chronic hepatitis. There is no cure for the disease and these animals will have it for the rest of their lives.
About the Author
Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.
—–
Pamper Your Dog: 130 Treats for Your Canine Friend - Free Ebook > http://www.remedies...-dog-130-recipes.pdf
Pamper Your Cat: 100 Treats for Your Feline Friend - Free Ebook > http://www.remedies...-cat-100-recipes.pdf
For Guaranteed, Effective, 100% Natural Herbal Remedies for Pets, please visit PetAlive!
Does your pet need a new Collar or Leash? How about a beautiful winter Coat or a fashionable outfit? Perfectly Pampered Pets is Pet’s #1 Choice in Fashion and Great Gifts for Your Pampered Pet!
An I.D. Tag can save your pet’s life or bring him home again. Visit Tags For Pets now!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Leave a reply