"Dogs have more love than
integrity. They've been true to us,
yes, but they haven't been true to themselves".
~ Clarence Day
Dog herpesvirus is medically called Canine
Herpesvirus (CHV) which is a virus of the family Herpesviridae which most
importantly causes a fatal
hemorrhagic disease in puppies (and in wild Canidae)
less than two to three weeks old. The incubation period is 6-10 days.
CHV is transmitted to puppies in the birth canal
and by contact with infected oral and nasal secretions from the mother or other
infected dogs. Symptoms include crying, weakness, depression, discharge from the
nose, soft, yellow feces, and a loss of the sucking reflex. Bruising of the
belly may also occur. There is a high mortality rate, approaching 80 percent in
puppies less than one week old, and death usually occurs in one to two days.
In puppies three to five weeks old, the disease is
less severe due to their ability to properly maintain body temperature and mount
a febrile response. More puppies survive, but they can develop a latent
infection. Some later get neurologic disease and have symptoms like difficulty
walking and blindness.
In adult dogs, the virus infects the reproductive
tract, which allows it to be sexually transmitted or passed to puppies during
birth. The disease can cause abortion, stillbirths, and infertility. It is also
an infrequent cause of kennel cough.
Like other types of herpesvirus, previously
infected dogs can from time to time release the virus in vaginal secretions,
penile secretions, and discharge from the nose. Raised sores in the vagina or on
the penis may be seen during these times. Spread of the disease is controlled by
not breeding dogs known to have it.
Serology can show what dogs have been exposed
(although not all of them will be releasing the virus at that time). Female dogs
who have a negative serology for CHV should be isolated from other dogs from
three weeks before to three weeks after giving birth. Female dogs that have lost
puppies to the disease may have future litters that survive due to transfer of
antibodies in the milk.
Diagnosis of the dog herpesvirus in
puppies is best accomplished by autopsy. Findings include hemorrhages in the
kidneys, liver, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Treatment of affected puppies
is difficult, although injecting antibodies to CHV into the abdomen may help
some to survive. Keeping the puppies warm is also important. A vaccine in Europe
known as Eurican Herpes 205 has been available since 2003. It is given to the
dam (mother) twice: during heat or early pregnancy and one to two weeks before
whelping.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Dogs have more love than
integrity. They've been true to us,
yes, but they haven't been true to themselves".
~ Clarence Day
