Shots for your puppy pit bull
If you decide to bring a foster puppy Pitbull into your home or adopting one, you will need to get your personal pets ready for the addition. The first thing to consider will be the health issues, you will want to make sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations. The required vaccinations are Rabies and distemper.
The rabies virus is uncommonly seen in our pets today thanks to routine vaccinations. There are four species of wildlife that can carry the virus for periods of time, without showing symptoms. The skunk, fox, raccoon, and bat all can harbor the rabies virus, and shed it in their saliva without showing clinical symptoms of disease.
Dogs are most likely to be infected as a result of a bite from an animal carrying the virus.
Diagnosis of rabies can only be made through microscopic examination of the brain. When bitten by an animal suspicious of carrying rabies the decision to sacrifice the animal for determination of rabies can be done if the animal is caught. Otherwise quarantine may be considered. If bitten by a domestic cat or dog, sometimes quarantining the animal for 10 days to determine if the animal comes down with rabies, is done to prevent the death of the animal.
Prevention of distemper is the best course of treatment, and is done through vaccinations. Because there are vaccines available against this disease, it is not commonly seen. Local animal shelters will have outbreaks of distemper when infected dogs are allowed to stay. Spread of the virus is through the discharge from the nose, in stool and vomit. Strict measures to keep the affected environment clean with bleach or other disinfectants are necessary to minimize exposure and spread of the virus. When an animal presents with suspicious signs of distemper infection, blood tests can be done to document actual presence of the distemper virus.
Distemper is a virus that can cause symptoms that are dependent on the area of the body the virus decides to localize. The three common areas of the body in the dog affected by the distemper virus are the intestinal tract, the lungs and upper respiratory tract, and the brain and spinal cord.
When distemper affects the intestinal tract, diarrhea and vomiting are the most common symptom. Affected animals tend not to want to eat, and can become weak and lethargic.
When distemper affects the lungs and upper respiratory tract, cough, sneezing, and greenish discharge from the nostrils is commonly seen. This is probably the most commonly seen symptom nowadays in affected dogs.
When distemper affects the brain and spinal cord, seizures are common symptoms. In the spinal cord, an uncontrollable twitch can occur which is a classic sign of distemper virus. Left untreated, distemper can also affect the pads of the dog's feet, resulting in hard pad disease.
Treatment is based on the symptoms which the affected dog has. Supportive care including fluid replacement and antibiotics is often started. Seizures are treated with an anti-convulsant medication. If the virus is localized to the intestinal tract or lungs and upper respiratory tract, the dog may be cured of the disease. If the virus becomes localized in the brain or spinal cord, a result of seizures or spinal twitching may be long term affects of the disease. If treatment is begun too late the dog may not survive.
Bordetella is another recommended vaccination for dogs that will be exposed to a group situation such as a kennel, dog show, doggie day care or a training class. It would be recommended for your pet if you may be fostering dogs that are coming from shelters or humane societies where the foster dog could have been exposed to Bordetella.
Bordetella is known as kennel cough. It is caused by a bacterial organism, or can be caused by a virus and is spread through the upper respiratory fluids of coughing dogs. Although usually confined to the dog, some cats can become affected as well. Humans are not affected.
It is commonly seen in grouped dogs such as kennels, animal shelters, or dog shows, and can affect any dog that is unvaccinated. Symptoms are a deep, dry, hacking cough, usually seen a few days after exposure.
Treatment involves antibiotics, and sometimes cough suppressant medications. Typically, the disease with antibiotic treatment will run a 10 day to 2 week course before clearing. |
