DISTEMPER
Leptospirosis
Infectious canine hepatitis
Parvo virus
Tick fever
Heartworm disease
Throat worm
Nematode (round) worms
Sarcoptic
mange
Demodectic mange
Fleas
Ear
mites
Distemper is a very infectious viral disease and is widespread amongst the unvaccinated dog population of Trinidad and Tobago. The virus is present in all body excretions. Affected dogs may show the following signs; fever; losss of appetite; nose and eye discharges; vomiting; diarrhoea; nervous signs, paralysis, skin sores and abortion. The animal may be severely ill for many days, after which it is estimated that as many as 90% of dogs may die. Survivors may develop long term nerve or skin problems. Vaccinate annually!
Leptospirosis is a common disease in the tropics. This is a bacterial infection shared with rats, man and other animals including dogs. It is transmitted mainly through the urine of affected animals, which contaminates water courses. Symptoms include: high fever; vomiting; internal bleeding; muscle and joint pains, and acute liver pain and jaundice. Affected animals will be very ill for many days and may cry in pain. Many dogs affected with leptospirosis may die as long as twelve days after infection, as a result of liver and kidney failure and dehydration progressing to shock. Vaccinate annually!
Infectious Canine Hepatitis is less common than leptospirosis. However, it still results in the deaths of significant numbers of usually young, unvaccinated dogs. This disease is caused by a virus and is also spread mainly through contact with contaminated urine. The course of the disease is in many ways similar to that of leptospirosis with similarly nasty symptoms and a variably poor outlook depending on the animal’s natural resistance. Vaccinate annually!
Parvo Virus causes illness and death amongst large numbers of mainly young dogs annually. This is also a virus, most commonly affecting the intestines causing a variety of unpleasant symptoms, over many days, including: weakness; depression; loss of appetite; vomiting; lots of bloody diarrhoea, and fever. Many affected animals die rapidly from dehydration. The virus is highly infectious and very difficult to remove from contaminated areas where bodily wastes carry the disease. Vaccinate annually!
Tick Fever is a fairly common and potentially fatal disease. It is caused by organisms called rickettsiae, which are passed on to the dog by the common dog tick. These organisms live within the dog’s blood cells, causing internal and external bleeding, loss of appetite; fever, and exhaustion and occasionally limb pains, lameness and paralysis. This disease is preventable with good tick control but serious cases if untreated may cause the dog to die. Various products are available to control fleas and ticks on dogs and cats, of which one of the most effective is “Frontline”. This is applied at intervals of one to three months, depending on the number of parasites in the area and the animal’s lifeltyle, ie. whether it goes out a lot or lives indoors. The most effective way to control fleas and ticks is to check the animals coat regularly and take action immediately if there are any signs of ticks or fleas. In the case of heavy tick and flea infestations it may be necessary to treat the environment as well as the animal to eliminate the problem.
Heartworm Disease is another major disease problem for dogs in T.and T. The disease is caused by a roundworm which affects the heart and lungs and is fatal if untreated. Dogs become affected with heartworm when they are bitten by a mosquito which carries the disease. Dogs with advanced disease will show the discomforting signs of congestive heart failure, including: lack of energy; difficulty in breathing; coughing, and weight loss. However, some dogs may show very few signs until the disease is very seriously advanced. This takes several months. Regular preventative medication is effective in healthy animals and may be obtained from the vet or good pet store.
Throat Worm. This is a very nasty disease spread by the dung beetle. Fortunately, it is less common than tick fever or heartworm. Dogs acquire the disease by sticking their noses where they shouldn’t ( in dung ) and eating beetles feeding off it. Dogs particularly at risk are those which scavenge for a living and eat whatever rubbish they can get off the ground, so the starving ex stray would be particularly at risk. The disease develops over a number of months in the dog. Some dogs may die without warning following internal migration of the parasitic agent and rupture of the aorta, a major blood vessel. Others go on to develop large swellings in the throat. These interfere with swallowing. Animals treated at this point may recover completely and others may do well for some time on semi liquid diets. Other less lucky ones develop further problems involving bony swellings in the legs. These are very painful and interfere with walking and the animal will probably require to be put to sleep. If your dog has dirty habits, discuss regular preventative injections for him or her.
Nematode (Round) Worms including Toxocara canis and Toxacaris leonina also commonly cause serious illness and neonatal death in dogs through heavy parasitic infestation of the intestines. Symptoms are particularly noticeable in puppies and include: poor growth; abdominal discomfort; vomiting, and diarrhoea. Affected animals will pass large numbers of eggs into the environment. Regular use of anthelmintic (anti worm) medication and good environmental hygiene will prevent these roundworms in pet animals.
Sarcoptic Mange is a highly infectious and extremely unpleasant and debilitating skin disease which commonly affects dogs in T.and T. It is caused by a microscopic mite, a tiny burrowing creature which is passed from dog to dog by direct contact and also indirect contact as the mange mites can survive for 3 days off the dog. As the mange mite multiplies on or within the outer layer of the skin, it causes intense itching and redness, to which the dog responds by scratching constantly. Badly affected dogs cannot rest and lose condition rapidly. Severely affected animals will suffer greatly with open weeping wounds particularly around the head, ears and elbows. Although the disease is fairly easy and inexpensive to treat with a series of insecticidal baths and/or injections, untreated animals may become so thin and that they eventually collapse and die. Additonally, the open sores are provide an ideal breeding site for maggots. Affected animals are conspicuous due to their poor condition and constant scratching and are frequently abused, stoned, starved and driven away from their communities by people who fear, quite rightly, that they may pick up the disease themselves. The disease is easy enough to treat in people as the mite cannot survive indefinitely on the human body. Additionally medicated washes will quickly and effectively treat the condition in people.
Demodectic mange. This is also caused by a skin mite. Unlike sarcoptic mange it is not contagious amongst adult dogs and is not very itchy. Most normal, healthy dogs have a few demodectic mange mites living in their skin and these do not cause any skin problems. The animal usually gets the mites from its mother. In a few dogs, for reasons as yet poorly understood, the mange mites multiply and cause a range of symptoms from a few bald patches to extensive skin flaking and hair loss. In animals where these problems develop there may often be some underlying medical problem which weakens the dog, or reduces its natural immunity. Severe demodectic mange can be difficult to treat, because first the underlying weakness which has allowed the mites to multiply has to be identified and treated. Whilst the skin may improve with a series of chemical baths, it is unfortunately the case that the problem may recur once treatment ends. Severely affected animals which do not respond to treatment become vulnerable to other problems such as skin bleeding and maggot infestation and in the long term euthanasia my be the only solution in bad cases.
Fleas are probably the most common cause of skin problems in those dogs in whom the flea bite provokes an itchy allergic reaction. Again, the affected dog will engage in constant scratching, leading to skin sores and scabs, hair loss and constant irritating discomfort. In the domestic situation, fleas are easily controlled with insecticides, but again the stray dog is not so lucky.
Ear Mites are small, highly infectious between cats and dogs and one of the major causes of ear problems and discomfort in the dog and cat, leading to scratching, head – shaking and ear infections. Ear problems may be extremely painful for the dog ( or cat) and if untreated may progress to potentially fatal complications such as maggot infestation. The stray population has no access to the antiparasitic drops you can put in the ears and which effectively eliminate the problem in the domestic pet. Remember, if you have several cats and dogs and one of them has ear mites, you will have to treat all the animals, not just the affected one. If applying ear drops, always remember to rub the base of the ear gently after putting the drops in, as this will help the liquid to coat the inside of the ear and make it less likely to come out again when the animal shakes its head!
