Common Canine and Feline Diseases

Rabies: Spread through saliva when an infected animal (“rabid”) bites another animal. Sick animals should be avoided...it can be spread to humans. Rabies vaccine is required for dog license.

Symptoms: Animal acts unusual, change in temperament, aggressive, restless; wild nocturnal animals may be seen during the day.

Prevention: First vaccinations should be at four months old for cats and dogs. Booster shots will need to be given every one to three years depending on the age of the animal. This vaccine is a separate shot than combination shot for parvo and distemper.

Treatment: Unfortunately there is not a cure for rabies. Animals that are suspected to be infected with rabies are euthanized and tested. Distemper: This is a virus that is transmitted by contact with infected animals, clothing, bedding and air. This disease is more dangerous for young animal, especially puppies. The disease stays within species (a dog cannot infect a cat and visa versa).

Symptoms: Fever, lethargic, loss of appetite, yellow-green discharge from eyes and nose, sneezing, vomiting, tremors.

Prevention: Annual vaccination that comes in a combination shot. First vaccination should be given at six to eight weeks, repeated every 3 weeks until the puppy reaches 16 weeks old and a booster should be given once a year. Puppies and kittens should not come in contact with sick animals until initial series of vaccines have been given.

Treatment: Animal needs close monitoring and nursing care. The disease must be caught in the early stages in order for treatment to be effect or successful. Sometimes recovery is impossible.

Tapeworms: Tapeworms are the larva of a flea that has been accidentally ingested by an animal and develops into a segmented worm that lives inside the intestines of dogs and cats.

Symptoms: Animal may lose weight or have a bloated abdomen or may not even show any symptoms. Tapeworms can sometimes be seen in the stool or crawling out of the rectum. They can be moving and often look like a grain of rice.

Prevention: Flea control.

Treatment: Medications can be prescribed by veterinarian to eliminate current tapeworms and flea control is suggested.

Other Intestinal Worms: Roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms can live in the intestines of dogs and cats. Can be passed from mother to litter or by contact with feces. Some may be passed to humans.

Symptoms: Sometimes there are not any symptoms, but usually there is weight loss, poor hair coat, diarrhea, and puppies may have bloated bellies.

Prevention: These worms are difficult to prevent and cannot be detected by looking at stool. Stool samples must be taken to your veterinarian for testing. It is suggested that you take a sample to the vet for a puppy or kittens first visit.

Treatment: Medication can be prescribed by veterinarian once the type of worm has been identified. It is suggested to treat for worms all animals in the home if any one them have been diagnosed.

Heatstroke: Caused by lack of ventilation, water, or shade or over exertion in the heat. Older and overweight animals are more susceptible. It is extremely dangerous to leave animals in cars. Heatstroke can be fatal, especially in our hot climate.

Symptoms: Heavy panting, Increased heart rate (pounding heart), anxious or staring expression, vomiting, coma. If comatose, may be too late.

Prevention: Provide animal with shade from the sun, good ventilation and lots of fresh water. Never leave animal in the car even with the windows down. Do not over-exert, especially on warm to hot days. If animal is overweight, start a weight reduction plan.

Treatment: Hose down the animal immediately to bring down the body temperature. Veterinary attention may be necessary.

Fleas and Ticks: It is also important to check animals for fleas and ticks. Usually these parasites are around the ears, back and tail area. Flea dips and topical ointments can prevent the spread of these parasites. If infestation occurs, animal, home and yard must be treated and all cycles (egg, larva and adult flea) must be eliminate. This may take several weeks of treatment to animal and his/her environment. Ticks have to be burned off or pulled out with tweezers. Must be careful not to leave any part of the tick in the animals skin or they could become ill.

Common Canine Diseases (Dogs only)

Parvo Virus: Parvo is the #1 killer of puppies and is extremely contagious. The virus is spread through contact with the feces and/or bodily fluids of an infected dog. It can be carried on the skin, clothing, bedding, shoes of people, food and water bowls, and toys...basically any surface. Puppies are the most severely infected and survival rate is low.

Symptoms: Severe diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, dehydration, loss of appetite, severe depression, and animal may be in pain. An animal may be infected, but the symptoms may not show up for a couple of weeks.

Prevention: Annual vaccination administered by a veterinarian which may be in combination (with distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, adenovirus and parainfluenza). The first vaccination should be given at six to eight weeks of age, repeated every 3 weeks until the puppy reaches 16 weeks old, followed by a booster once a year.

Treatment: Take animal to veterinarian immediately. There is no cure or treatment for parvo, but animals may be nursed through it with fluids and other supportive treatments which increase the chances of survival. Often hospitalization is necessary and can be very costly.

Corona : Viral disease that is extremely contagious which usually leads to parvo virus. The combination of the two is more severe than either one by itself and can be fatal.

Symptoms: Severe diarrhea (often bloody), vomiting, dehydration, loss of appetite, severe depression and pain.

Prevention: An annual vaccination (Can sometimes be in a combination shot). Puppies should not be around strange dogs, sick dogs (or recently sick dogs) until initial series of shots has been completed.

Treatment: Immediately take animal to the veterinarian. There is not a cure for the virus, but fluids, nursing care and other supportive treatments can increase the chances of survival. Hospitalization is often necessary and can be very costly.

Kennel Cough: Kennel Cough is a highly contagious, airborne disease caused by several bacteria and viruses. The virus can transmit by contact with any contaminated surfaces, animals, materials (clothing) and is common to animals boarded in kennels or shelters. It may develop into pneumonia if left untreated.

Symptoms: Dry hacking cough (similar to smoker’s cough) followed by gagging motions. Sometimes vomiting occurs (clear and foamy).

Prevention: It is almost impossible to prevent, but there is a vaccination (Bordatella) that may or may not be totally effective. The best defense is to avoid or reduce the amount of time your dog spends in the kennel environment.

Treatment: Veterinarians can prescribe antibiotics and/or cough suppressants. It is suggested to keep your dog indoors and isolated from other pets for at least 2 weeks. It is possible for a dog to get reinfected once it has recovered.

Heartworms: This is a parasite (worm) that lives in the heart chambers and, after breeding, produce larva (microfillaria) that circulate in the bloodstream. This parasite (the larva) can only be transmitted to other dogs from mosquito bites, not through direct contact with an infect dog. Heartworm is predominantly in humid area such as the coastal region, foothills and the mountains.

Symptoms: Unfortunately, the symptoms do not appear until the disease is in the advanced stages. At the later stage the dog may tire easily, cough, lose weight and have difficulty breathing.

Prevention: Veterinarians can prescribe a monthly or daily oral medication. It is required that a blood test be performed to check for existence of larva before the prescription can be given.

Treatment: If larva are detected from the blood test, hospitalization is immediately started and the dog is given intravenous injections of a powerful medication for several days. Some dogs become ill from this treatment, so specific monitoring of kidney and liver functions are necessary.

Common Feline Diseases and Conditions (Cats Only)

Leukemia (FELV): This is a virus that is transmitted by direct contact with an infected cat, but is not transmitted from clothing, people or by air. It is not related to human leukemia, but does cause the immune system of the infected cat to break down. A cat may have the disease, but remain “healthy” and just be a carrier to infect other cats.

Symptoms:The symptoms may be difficult to detect because they develop so slowly. They include weight loss, fever, pale gums, recurrent infections, lack of energy, and loss of appetite.

Prevention: The only way to detect the disease is by a blood test. If the cat tests negative to the disease, it can be vaccinated. The blood test can be done on kittens three to four months old and the initial series is required, then an annual booster. If a cat tests positive for the disease, it must be isolated from other cats forever or be euthanized.

Treatment: The disease is terminal, but some cats may live a long life as a carrier with occasional cold-like symptoms that can be treated with nursing care. It is absolutely necessary that these cats be isolated from other cats. Once their quality of life has deteriorated, euthanasia may be the most humane course of action.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI): Caused by bacteria and viruses which infect the tissues of the nose, eye and throat, and are all contagious. It is more severe to kittens and elderly cats.

Symptoms: Sneezing, fever, lack of energy, loss of appetite, watery or pus-like discharge from eyes and nose. Too much discharge in kittens eyes may make them unable to open.

Prevention: There is an annual vaccination (combination of rhinotracheitis, calici and panleukopenia) that can be given to kittens starting at six to eight months of age. Avoiding contact with stray cats and keeping a sanitary environment for your cat can help prevent the disease.

Treatment: Veterinarians can prescribe antibiotics and medicated eye ointments. The cat needs to be isolated from other cats and they can be nursed back to health.

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