Puppy diseases

Puppies, like adult dogs, get sick, and they tend to get sick more often. Moreover, illnesses in puppies cause much more harm to their small, fragile bodies, and it's often difficult to predict the consequences of each illness. We've prepared a list of the most common illnesses in puppies, along with descriptions of symptoms and treatment recommendations, dividing them into three types: infectious, parasitic, and non-infectious.

If the mother is vaccinated, then while she feeds her puppies, they are protected by their mother's immune system, as antibodies are found in the milk. As soon as the puppies are separated from their mother, they become susceptible to a variety of infectious diseases. However, puppies don't always become ill due to a virus or bacteria. Parasitic diseases are also common. And there are many non-contagious illnesses that cause significant problems for pets and their owners.

Infectious diseases of puppies

The most dangerous are infectious diseases in puppies. Mortality in such cases is extremely high, especially when the owner is late in identifying the cause.

Parvovirus enteritis

Death from parvovirus enteritis in dogsSymptoms may occur within the first 24 hours, but more often, a sick puppy dies without treatment within 3 days. Many owners confuse viral enteritis with poisoning, as with this disease, the temperature almost never rises; in fact, it can drop to 37.5°C.

However, vomiting and bloody diarrhea should be a warning sign for any owner. Enteritis also has many other symptoms. Treatment is specific: a serum with a high concentration of antibodies against the pathogen.

Distemper or plague of carnivores

Babies between 3 months and 1 year of age are most often affected, but later infection is also possible if the immune system is very weak. This viral disease has many forms: cutaneous, nervous, intestinal, pulmonary, and mixed. It is important to begin treating your baby for distemper as soon as possible to ensure survival and avoid serious complications. German Shepherd puppies are more susceptible to this disease, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't vaccinate your dog if you have a different breed. Vaccination alone will reduce the risk of infection to just 1%. Recovery is then very rapid.

Infectious hepatitis

The virus primarily affects the liver, but other organs are also affected. The main symptoms of the disease in puppies include fever (up to almost 107 degrees Fahrenheit), vomiting bile, and a near-complete loss of appetite. The mucous membranes first turn pale, then yellow. The whites of the eyes also take on an unhealthy hue due to the bile. This is because the liver releases large amounts of bilirubin into the blood, which is not broken down (as it should be in a healthy animal). This damages the brain, and the urine becomes dark brown. Another clear symptom of an infectious disease hepatitis – a sick puppy spreads its front paws wide when standing or lying down.

Parasitic diseases of puppies

Parasitic diseases in puppies can also be described as diseases caused by parasites. Parasites can be:

• external (fleas, ticks, lice) - skin parasites in dogs;
• internal - types of worms;
• Subcutaneous mites are also mites that operate in the layers of the puppy's skin. The most common ones here are demodicosis in dogs.

In this article we will briefly discuss worms.

Cestodoses

A group of helminthiasis caused by tapeworms (also known as tapeworms). This group includes diphyllobothriasis, dipylidiasis, echinococcosis, taeniasis, and many others. Pets can become infected by eating raw fish or offal from infected animals. Even ingesting skin parasites (fleas or lice) can lead to cestodiasis.

Trematodoses

This group of diseases is caused by flukes. The most common is opisthorchiasis. It affects the pancreas, bile ducts, and the liver itself. Pets can become infected by eating raw fish containing fluke larvae.

Nematodosis

They are most commonly seen in young puppies. These babies often suffer from toxocariasis or toxoascariasis (roundworms, simply put). The baby's tummy becomes large, distended, and tight. In cases of severe infestation, a cough is observed (since one stage of the parasite's development occurs in the lungs). The animal coughs up the larvae, which migrate to the small intestine, where they grow and reproduce as adults.

Intrauterine infection is often recorded (unborn puppies become infected from an infected mother). Roundworms greatly weaken the immune system. Any "infection" can affect puppies. This is why deworming is so important before vaccination. Deworming is also necessary regularly! Even if you think your little one is completely healthy, you may not even realize you have an infestation.

Non-communicable diseases of puppies

The section title makes it clear that these diseases are the least dangerous, but that doesn't mean they can be ignored. In advanced stages, such a disease can cause severe suffering for a puppy.

Rickets

Rickets is a common disease in puppies of all breeds. It develops because growing puppies lack vitamin D. Due to its deficiency, the young body cannot fully absorb calcium. Essentially, it "transits" through the intestines without being absorbed. Consequently, calcium levels in the blood decrease. But the body is such a creature that if something is missing somewhere, it will find a way to get it.

Where is there a lot of calcium? That's right, in the bones and teeth. The bones become porous and brittle. And under the weight of the body, they become curved. This results in crooked legs and a bowed chest, and you can feel something like balls on the ribs – the so-called rachitic beads. There may be cramps, but in any case, the animal is in pain. More about rickets in dogs.

Hernia

In some animals, the umbilical cord does not completely close. Loops of intestine or other internal organs located in the abdominal cavity can protrude through it. This is very dangerous, as the intestines can become trapped, preventing food from passing through. First, the food will begin to rot, causing severe intoxication in the puppy. Then, the intestines will become blocked, causing the pet to experience excruciating pain.

If left untreated, the animal's intestines may become damaged, and their contents may leak into the abdominal cavity. This will lead to peritonitis. A puppy's hernia should not be repaired by the owner! This is a surgical procedure, so it should only be performed by a veterinarian!

Obesity

Obesity This is a disease of large-breed puppies, but small breeds can also sometimes suffer. In small breeds, fat accumulates first in the abdomen, and then on the legs. Large breeds, on the other hand, gain weight more evenly. However, excess weight only puts stress on the joints. Also, remember that fat is not only subcutaneous tissue but also visceral deposits—around the internal organs. And this fat is much more dangerous than fat deposited under the skin. A puppy should be active and healthy.

Don't overfeed or give in to those puppy-dog eyes begging for more. Don't spoil your pet with sweets. Remember that an unbalanced diet will lead not only to hypo- or hypervitaminosis, but also to obesity and other metabolic disorders. And then comes the domino effect. Improper metabolism can lead to serious health problems, such as kidney stones and diabetes.

Osteochondrosis (joint disease)

It's more common in large breeds. The joints become enlarged and thickened. Lameness develops, and the joints themselves become deformed. If you look closely, you'll notice the radius (one of the bones running from the wrist to the elbow) is crooked. This not only creates a defect in appearance but also causes discomfort to the growing puppy.

This condition (in Alabai, German Shepherd, and other large breed puppies) develops due to overfeeding with foods high in calcium. As you can see, an excess of this element is just as harmful as a deficiency. If a puppy gains excess weight, the joints become severely deformed under the weight, as if they were being crushed. Don't overfeed your puppy, even if they beg for more.

Vitamin deficiency (hypovitaminosis)

As your puppy grows, his body needs nutrients for bone and tooth growth and the development of his internal organs. Your puppy should eat a wide variety of foods: meat (not raw or fatty), vegetables (don't overdo it with potatoes, or your pet will become obese), dairy products (but don't overfeed them, or they'll develop osteochondrosis), hard-boiled eggs, and grains and cereals. Vitamin supplements for growing puppies can be given.

Excess of vitamins (hypervitaminosis)

Many owners mistakenly believe that giving their puppies more vitamins and minerals will only make them healthier and stronger. This isn't true. Excess vitamins can also cause hair loss (just like vitamin deficiencies), and deformed bones and teeth. Puppies often become seriously ill. This is because the symptoms, to inexperienced owners, often resemble hypovitaminosis. Therefore, owners often try to give even more vitamins, which actually causes further harm.

That's why it's so important not to start treatment on your own, but to first visit a veterinarian and have a blood test to find out whether there really is a vitamin deficiency or if there are too many and the diet needs to be revised.

Any questions? You can ask our website's staff veterinarian in the comments below, who will answer them as quickly as possible.

Read also:

• What and how to feed a puppy correctly?
• When and what vaccinations should puppies receive?