Dog Virus

Dog Virus

Viruses live in the cells. They are so small that they are invisible through an ordinary microscope. Photographs of them made through the electron microscope indicate that, like bacteria, they grow in various forms. Their exact nature is not understood, nor has a cure for the diseases they cause been discovered. If your veterinarian diagnoses your dog’s disease as a virus disease and tells you that he or she has no medicine that can cure it, believe it. If he or she does get affected by a cure with drugs, your pet did not have a virus disease. At least, this seems to be true based on what we now know about viruses.

Viruses, even more than bacteria, have affinities for certain tissues in the body. Rabies, for instance, is neurotropic, which means that it attacks nerve tissue. Distemper has an affinity for the epithelial tissue (skin and mucous membranes). Some viruses attack the lining of the nose and throat, and others attack lung tissue.

One of the tragic facts about viruses is that they so weaken tissue that bacterial diseases can get a start and develop. Certain bacteria are such constant companions of viruses that we once believed that bacteria caused several virus diseases because bacteria were constantly present. This was true, for example, of distemper, which we thought was caused by a bacterium called B. bronchisepticus. Of course, veterinarians should and do try to cure any part of the disease they can. If penicillin or sulfa drugs will destroy bacteria that complicate virus diseases, they should be used, but not to treat the virus, because they are worthless against it.

The following are the symptoms that would help you to detect whether your dog is suffering from viral infection or not.

Dog Virus Symptoms

• The dog would be seen suffering from upper respiratory problems like conjunctivitis, irritated eyes, rhinitis or runny eyes, or the incidence of sneezing.
• Certain symptoms like a continued spell of coughing would get worsened with the rigorous physical exercise and excitement. In case of the occurrence of secondary bacterial pneumonia like the loss of appetite, pneumonia, and very high fever.
• The presence of a very high degree of fever. Your dog would be suffering from a fever which would be not less than 106 degrees F.
• The dog would also suffer from breathing problems.
• The dog would also seem to be quite depressed. It would not feel like eating much and would experience chronic loss of appetite.

Studies have shown that 1 % to 10% of dogs suffering from viral infection die every year. With the aid of medical experiments, there are several vaccinations available in the market that would be effective for your dog to get cured of it. The vaccines like the accentuated vaccines pacify the germs to a great extent. The germs lose the capacity to infect the animal. Inactive vaccines are the ones that kill the germs or make them inactive to reproduce.

See more: Dog Vomiting