Infectious canine hepatitis is a very difficult condition to diagnose. In subclinical cases, it does not even manifest symptoms. In hyperacute cases, the dog with liver problems can die so quickly that the disease is mistaken for poisoning. Very common in puppies, this type of hepatitis in dogs can be prevented with a very easy and affordable method: vaccination.Want to know more about this disease? Paws of Cas has put together everything you need to know about canine infectious hepatitis!

What is canine infectious hepatitis?

Infectious hepatitis is a disease caused by a virus that affects the liver of puppies. It is also known as Rubarth's disease and can be mild, acute or hyperacute. This type of hepatitis is more common in puppies up to 1 year of age. Puppies with hepatitis in adulthood usually have low immunity or are not vaccinated. Protection against thisThe disease is guaranteed when the pet receives the V8 or V10 vaccines.

Canine hepatitis is highly contagious and is only transmitted through secretions such as saliva and urine, and is therefore not considered a zoonosis. A very common behavior among dogs, which is to sniff the urine of other dogs during a walk on the street, can be the gateway to the virus.

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) is the cause of the disease

Canine adenovirus type 1 (CAV-1) is a non-enveloped DNA virus. This means that it is quite resistant to environmental disinfection. All it takes is for a dog to come into contact with the urine, faeces and other bodily secretions of sick animals (through which the virus is shed) or even with some contaminated surface to contract the disease, if it is not vaccinated against it. CAV-1 enters the body of a dog.healthy organism through the nose, mouth or eyes, and replicates in the tonsils, which are in the pharynx region before entering the bloodstream.

Symptoms of canine hepatitis can be mistaken for poisoning or other diseases

Because it is a controlled disease in Brazil, thanks to the vaccination of the dog, it is not difficult for the symptoms of canine infectious hepatitis to be attributed to other more common health conditions or to the reaction in the case of the poisoned dog. In the mild form of canine hepatitis, symptoms may not even appear and the dog's immune system can get rid of the disease on its own. See below what are the symptoms of canine hepatitis.symptoms of a dog with a liver problem that may appear after about 1 week of the infection:

• Cough and fever
• Bleeding in the stool and from the muzzle
• Tongue
• Diarrhea with presence of blood
• Vomit
• Lack of appetite
• Lethargy

In its most severe form, ICH can also cause:

• Seizures
• Blindness
• Disorientation (walking in circles, for example)
• Thrombosis
• Ocular discharge and corneal edema

How infectious canine hepatitis is diagnosed

Observation of symptoms is essential to diagnose hepatitis in dogs, so seek veterinary advice at the first signs of a dog with fever and respiratory and gastrointestinal changes. Blood and urine tests should be requested, as well as analysis of secretions from the muzzle and eyes. In some cases, liver biopsy may be necessary.

In the hyperacute form of the disease - in which cases of death are common between 24h and 48h after the onset of symptoms - the same tests can be requested to identify the cause of death. Investigation is highly recommended to rule out the hypothesis of poisoning and essential if there has been contact between the sick dog and other dogs.

Canine hepatitis: how to treat liver disease in a dog?

The good news is that the treatment of hepatitis in dogs is quite effective, even in acute cases of the disease. The first step, after detecting the condition, is to isolate the dog with hepatitis to avoid contamination of other dogs. It is also very important to sanitize the place where the dog pees and poops with products capable of inactivating CAV-1, such as iodine derivatives, phenol and other products.sodium hydroxide or steam cleaning at temperatures above 50°C for at least 5 minutes.

The veterinarian may prescribe different forms of therapy for the dog with liver problems: drugs to control vomiting, inhibit fever, antibiotics (which prevent opportunistic bacterial infections), transfusion of whole blood or plasma, glucose replacement and fluid therapy to rehydrate the animal. Do not wait: at the slightest sign of the appearance of symptoms of canine infectious hepatitis,The sooner the disease is treated, the better the chances of recovery.

Vaccination is essential to prevent hepatitis in dogs

Prevention - through puppy vaccination - is the most effective way to keep ICH away from your best friend. The octuple (V8) or duple (V10) multivalent vaccines should be given to the puppy as soon as it is 45 days old, with two more doses at 3 to 4 month intervals and an annual booster. Adult puppies that have never been vaccinated should receive all doses as soon as possible.These two types of vaccine contain attenuated CAV-2, which is able to protect the furry one from both respiratory infections caused by adenovirus type 2 and canine hepatitis, caused by CAV-1.