This document summarizes key information about viruses that commonly infect cats and dogs. It describes the structure and life cycle of viruses in general and then discusses several specific viral diseases including Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Panleukopenia Virus (FPV), Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), Feline Calicivirus (FCV), Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Rabies Virus, and Canine Distemper Virus. For each virus, it covers transmission, symptoms, diagnosis/testing, treatment/prevention strategies. Vaccination is emphasized as an important prevention method
3. Basic Anatomy
1. great variation between various types
of viruses
2. nucleic acid core
• DNA or RNA
• ss or ds
• contains genes needed for virus
replication
3. protein coat
• surrounds the nucleic acid
• protects the nucleic acid
• many of these proteins are highly
antigenic
• produce an immune response in
host
• may be used to make vaccines
• are responsible for host specificity
4. outer envelope
• only present in some viruses
• surrounds protein coat of some
viruses
• made of remnants of host cell plasma
membrane
• not sensitive to antibiotics
• vaccinations are generally very good
at protecting host against viruses
4. Life Cycle
1. Adsorption/Attachment
• Virus specifically recognizes host cell
(protein-protein recognition)
• binds to specific receptor on host cell
surface
2. Penetration
• entire virus particle or just its nucleic
acid enters inside of host cell
3. Un-coating
• if virus enters cell intact, its nucleic
acid comes out of protein coat
5. 4. Viral replication and protein synthesis
• viral nucleic acid reproduces
• more viral proteins are synthesized
5. Assembly
• new viral particles are assembled in the host cell from the newly made viral
nucleic acid and protein
6. Release
• virus particle are released from host cell by various mechanisms
• may be released slowly over time (“shedding”) or all at once
• may or may not kill host cell
6. Possible outcomes of viral
infection
1. No viral replication – no disease
2. “shedding”
• slow steady release of viral particles
• no cell death
• may or may not cause disease of host
3. large rapid release of viral particles – cell death and
host disease
7. Diagnosis
1. Patient history very important
2. Vaccination status very important
• if pt is unvaccinated, lean to viral diagnosis
- err on side of caution
• if pt is vaccinated, lean to another cause (bacterial,
parasitic, etc.)
3. Respiratory sounds (dorsal = viral)
4. X-rays
5. Blood tests for virus or antibodies against the virus
a) serological tests
b) ELISA
8. Major treatment strategies:
1. supportive care
2. nutrition and fluids
3. antibiotics do not kill viruses!
often given to treat or prevent secondary bacterial infections
Viral classification
1. we won’t study
2. are put into groups according to similarities in anatomy and life cycle
9. Common Veterinary Viral
Infections:
FeLV- Feline Leukemia Virus
Description:
• often fatal
• a retrovirus – small ss RNA virus
• virus is easily killed in the environment
• Prevalence had decreased significantly due to vaccine
10. Transmission:
1. direct contact through saliva and nasal secretions of
infected cats
2. Virus found mostly in saliva but can be in nasal secretions,
urine, feces and milk of infected cats
3. Cat to cat transfer from bite wounds, mutual grooming
and rarely with shared litter boxes and feeding dishes
4. Queen to kitten
- either before they are born or from nursing
- most kittens successfully eliminate the virus (so retest
young kittens)
Persistently infected cats may shed virus for many years in
body secretions
• shared litter boxes, toys, food dishes
• nose to nose contact, sneezing
11. Symptoms and disease:
1. It is the most common cause of cancer in cats
2. Can cause blood disorders and may lead to a stage of
immune deficiency that leads to more infections
3. Common bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi that
don’t affect healthy cats can cause severe illness in
infected cats
4. In early stages of infection the cat may show no signs
( rec test all cats)
5. Sick cats show, poor condition, enlarged ln, fever,
inflammation of gums, infections , persistent
diarrhea, eye issues, neurologic disorders and may
have abortion or repro issues
12. Diagnosis:
1. ELISA test: in house, detects free FeLV particles in blood
2. IFA test: at the lab, detects virus particles in white blood
cells and is indication of more advanced disease, cats
positive for this test usually remain infected for life
Treatment: supportive care, antibiotics for infections and may
require blood transfusion
Vaccination: effective, but not 100%
Prognosis : median survival time 2.5 years, careful monitoring
and treatment can prolong it
13. FIV: Feline Immunodeficiency
Virus
Description: feline form of HIV
a retrovirus
Attacks the immune system
Median survival time 5 years
Transmission:
- bite wounds from infected cats so free roaming, aggressive
male cats are most frequently infected
- Housemates that don’t fight should not spread the disease,
casual, non aggressive contact does spread the virus
- kittens may be infected in the birth canal or from infected
milk
14. Symptoms and disease:
1. Early stage of the disease is often missed but shows fever
and enlarged LN
2. Signs of immunodeficiency and deterioration of cats
health
3. Persistent fever, loss of appetite, gingivitis, persistent
diarrhea, neurologic disorders
4. Cancer and blood disorders
Diagnosis: dependent of cat mounting an immune response to
virus, if no antibodies have been formed, the tests may be
negative
1. ELISA
2. Western blot
3. IFA assay
15. Positive for FIV
Few if any cats eliminate the infection so presence of
antibodies indicates cat is infected with FIV
False positives can occur so retesting is important
Kittens born to infected mothers may show positive for
several months but few of these kittens will become
infected
Kittens younger than 6 months that test positive for FIV
should be retested at 60 day intervals until 6 months of
age
FIV vaccine causes cats to test positive so rec microchip
these cats
16. Negative FIV
Cat has not produced antibodies to FIV
In most cases suggests cat is not infected
Usually takes 12 weeks for antibodies to appear
RETEST every 60 days
PCR testing may help
17. FIV: treatment, management,
prognosis
No cure but many of these cats live normal lives if
managed properly
Spayed or neutered, fed balanced diet, kept inside to
prevent transmission and exposure to other diseases or
bacteria
Test all cats before introducing into the household
Prevent CAT BITES
Before introducing a new cat into a household that
previously held a FIV cat, clean or replace all cat toys,
bedding, food bowls etc
18. FPV: Feline Panleukopenia
Virus
Uncommon due to effective vaccines
Description:
feline distemper
a parvovirus (very small ssDNA virus) can use dog parvo
test to screen for it.
virus can survive extreme temperatures and humidity
for years
can also survive many common disinfectants
19. Transmission:
1. very contagious disease, seen in pet shops, shelters
and feral cat colonies
2. Virus shed in urine, stool, and nasal secretions
3. Infected cat usually shed for a short period, 1-2 days,
but virus can survive up to 1 year in environment
4. sharing food, water, bedding, litter boxes with other
cats
5. mostly by contact with feces of another cat
6. also by direct contact with infected cat
7. in utero from infected mother to offspring
cerebellar hyperplasia in offspring, or abortion
20. Symptoms and disease:
1. very severe and often fatal – some cats die suddenly
2. Leukopenia is a common in bloodwork
3. depression, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea
4. pregnant cat may have stillborn kittens
5. Kittens are most severely affected, usually 3-5 months of
age
6. Virus infects and kills cells that are rapidly growing and
dividing such as in bone marrow, intestines and the
developing fetus
Prevention: vaccinations very effective disease rare
21. FP treatment/prevention
Recovery of cats under 8 weeks of age is poor
Supportive care since no antibiotics kill virus
Correct dehydration, provide nutrition, use antibiotics
to prevent secondary infection
Some recovered cats can shed virus for up to 6 weeks
Recovered cats are immune
Prevention
- Vaccinate with the first vaccine between 6-8 weeks and
up to 16 weeks of age
22. FIP: Feline Infectious
Peritonitis
**very serious and often fatal**
Description:
caused by feline coronavirus
there are a variety of feline coronaviruses, most of which
do not cause severe disease
a benign strain can mutate to the disease forming virus and
cause illness
1-5% of cats with a feline coronavirus develop FIP
therefore you have asymptomatic carriers of benign
Coranaviruses
diagnostic tests do not distinguish between carriers of
harmless virus and those with FIP
23. Transmission:
1. Any cat carrying any coronavirus is at risk for developing
FIP
2. Weak immune systems like kittens, cats with FeLV and
geriatric cats are more likely to develop FIP, most cats
that develop it are under 2 years of age
3. FIP is not a highly contagious disease, by the time clinical
disease is present only a small amount of virus is being
shed
4. Coronavirus is found in large quantities in saliva and feces
of cats during acute infection so it can be spread cat to
cat and with exposure to feces
5. Most common transmission female cats pass the virus to
kittens between 5 and 8 weeks of age
Much more prevalent in multi cat, shelters and catteries
24. FIP symptoms
Initially mild URI symptoms or mild intestinal disease
and show diarrhea
Loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, fever
Two major forms
1. Wet
- Fluid in abdomen and less commonly in chest, become
pot-bellied , fever, weight loss, anorexia
1. Dry ( slower)
- Chronic weight loss, depression, anemia, persistent fever
not responsive to antibiotics
25. FIP testing
Testing for FIP
- No simple diagnostic test
- ELISA, IFA detect coronavirus antibodies but can’t
differentiate the FIP causing coronavirus
- PCR test is being developed to help in diagnosis
26. FIP
FIP Treatment : none
FIP prevention:
1. Minimize exposure
2. Litter boxes clean and away from food and water,
regular cleaning and disinfection
3. Prevent overcrowding, adequate vaccinations, good
food
27. FCV: Feline Calicivirus
Description:
a calicivirus (small naked ss RNA virus)
part of the feline respiratory disease complex
feline rhinotracheitis virus
feline herpes virus also
feline respiratory disease complex accounts for 85-90%
of upper respiratory infections in cats (URI’s)
virus can survive outside the body for 8 to 10 days
in dishes, litter boxes, clothing
28. Transmission:
1. contact with nasal, ocular, or oral secretions and feces
of infected cats
2. by direct contact or contact with a contaminated
object (feed bowl, toy, etc.)
Symptoms and disease: ( incubation 2-14 days)
1. mild flu-like, like a cold
• sneezing, runny nose, fever. Loss of appetite, sores around
mouth, nose, lips, upper respiratory disease, possibly
arthritis (lameness)
2. usually not serious in adults: recover but may have
gingivitis for life
3. may be fatal in kittens
29. Diagnosis/treatment/prevention
Diagnose: swabs from eyes, nose or mouth sent out to
lab, interpret results carefully as healthy cats can test
positive and recent vaccination with a modified live
strain can test positive
Treatment: nursing care to keep cat eating and prevent
secondary infection
Prevention: no vaccine 100%, nasal form of vaccine
leads to more rapid protection, start vaccines at 6-8
weeks. Vaccine often in combination with distemper
30. Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis:
Herpevirus
Caused by feline herpesvirus type – 1
Major cause of upper respiratory disease and is the most
common cause of conjunctivitis
Cat becomes infected by direct contact, spread in saliva
and in discharges from eyes and nose of infected cat
Infection when cat comes into direct contact with an
infected cat or object with virus particles ( clothing,
food, water dishes, furniture)
Infection usually lasts 10-20 days but shows disease in 2-
5 days ( incubation period) and can infect other cats
during this incubation period
ALL CATS WILL BECOME CARRIERS AND MANY WILL BE
LATENT INFECTIONS THAT STRESS WILL CAUSE TO FLARE
UP
31. VIRUS CAN SURVIVE IN ENVIRONMENT AS LONG AS IT
STAYS MOIST USUALLY A FEW HOURS
ON SKIN ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR
BLEACH SOLUTIONS CAN KILL THE VIRUS AND FURNITURE
SHAMPOOS WILL KILL VIRUS AS WELL
Most severe in young
Sneezing, nasal congestion, conjuctivits, discharge from
eyes, keratitis: inflammation/scarring/dry eye of
cornea
Diagnose by collecting swabs and sending to lab
32. Treatment of FVR
Treat symptomatically, manage chronic cases
Topical eye meds
Check for dry eye /ulcers and treat accordingly
Steam bathroom to open up nasal or airway congestion
Polyprenyl immunostimulant to boost cats immune
system
Can infect other cats from incubation period and up to 3
weeks
Prevent with vaccination: not 100% usually combined
with calici and distemper
33. Rabies Virus
Description:
1. virus can infect all mammalian species
2. virus selectively attacks the nervous system
3. viral incubation period from 2 weeks to several
months
34. Transmission:
1. by transfer of saliva or other tissue fluids
• virus can be present in saliva of infected animals for
several days before the onset of clinical symptoms
• bite or spit into an open wound
2. virus can penetrate intact mucous membranes such as
the mouth, nose, or eyes
35. Symptoms and disease:
death within 10 days of onset of symptoms
3 stages
1. Prodromal stage: 1-3 days, vague CNS symptoms that
rapidly progress
2. Excitation stage: “Furious rabies,” irrational, aggressive,
anxious, loss of caution and fear
3. Paralytic stage:
first paralysis of throat and masseter muscles
profuse salivation and inability to swallow
not vicious or trying to bite
paralysis rapidly progresses throughout body and death occurs
within hours
36. Vaccination: **very important**
any unvaccinated dog or cat that is exposed to a rabid
animal should be euthanized immediately or placed in
strict isolation for 6 months and vaccinated
37. Canine Distemper Virus
Description: very serious disease (can be fatal in puppies)
1. not the same disease as feline distemper
caused by a different virus
2. caused by a paramyxovirus
a RNA virus
related to human measles virus
infects some other animals (raccoons, weasles, etc.)
virus is common in environment
virus may live several weeks or months in environment
38. Transmission:
1. highly contagious
2. spread by aerosol-droplet route upper respiratory
discharge is inhaled by another dog
3. direct contact
4. possibly by contact with contaminated objects
39. Symptoms and disease:
1. fever
2. coughing, labored breathing
3. conjunctivitis with ocular discharge
4. runny nose
5. vomiting, diarrhea
6. dogs may become anorectic
7. hyperkeratosis of foot pads and nose**
8. may be severe neurological symptoms esp. late in infection
9. dog will eventually die or have permanent neurological damage
40. Prevention:
1. vaccination is very effective and should be routine for every dog
2. routine disinfection effective
3. removal from population of dogs to prevent spread
41. Canine Parvovirus
Description: very serious disease high death rate
1. caused by parvovirus
2. ss DNA virus
3. very tough and resistant
4. survives for long time in environment
5. most common viral disease of dogs
6. mainly affects puppies up to 1 year of age
7. virus attacks and kills rapidly dividing cells
intestines
lymph nodes
bone marrow
heart muscle
42. Transmission:
1. Fecal oral
2. virus discharged in feces
3. dogs eat fecal contaminated material
Symptoms and disease:
1. diarrhea- often bloody
2. vomiting
3. leucopenia, neutropenia
4. fever, lethargy
5. anorexia
6. may cause “sudden” death in puppies due to infection of heart muscle
43. “Kennel Cough”
Description:
1. infectious tracheobronchitis
2. can be caused by about 13 different infectious agents
3. usually caused by one of two viruses
CAV-2: Canine Adenovirus-2
CPI: Canine Parainfluenza Virus
4. usually mild and self-limiting
5. can progress into fatal pneumonia
6. often leads to secondary infection with Bordetella
(bacterium)
may cause most of the symptoms
44. Transmission:
1. highly contagious
2. often infects dogs in close confinement with other
dogs kennels, shelters, pet stores, hospitals
3. oronasal contact
Symptoms and disease:
1. cough
2. anorexia
3. sometimes nasal discharge
4. symptoms usually fade in 5-20 days
Treatment and prevention: vaccinations not totally effective
– many possible causes of kennel cough
45. EIA – Equine Infectious Anemia
“Swamp Fever”
Description:
1. persistent viral disease of horses-
• acute or chronic
2. caused by a virus related to human HIV virus
3. caused by an arbovirus
• arthropod borne virus
• carried from animal to animal by mosquitoes and other blood
sucking insects
Transmission: blood transfer from one animal to another
usually by blood sucking insects
46. Symptoms and disease:
1. once a horse is infected, it becomes permanently
infected so becomes a carrier of the disease –
reservoir
2. intermittent fever
3. depression
4. progressive weakness and weight loss
5. edema (seen on mucous membranes)
6. progressive or transitory anemia
7. occasionally fatal
47. Treatment and control: no specific treatment or vaccine
infected horse is quarantined for life or euthanized
reduce exposure to biting insects
stabling
use of repellents
spraying and screening
source reduction – elimination of stagnant water
COGGINS TEST FOR EIA IS REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL/SALE
48. WNV- West Nile Virus
Description:
1. virus can cause death and disease in humans
2. caused by an arbovirus
reservoir of virus is wild birds(causes death in birds)
mosquitoes transfer virus from birds to horses
49. Transmission: blood transfer from wild birds to horses by
mosquitoes
Symptoms and disease:
ataxia
weakness of limbs
recumbency
death
36-44% mortality rate
51. Equine Viral Encephalitides“Sleeping
Sickness”
Description:
1. most common forms:
EEE Eastern Equine Encephalitis
WEE Western Equine Encephalitis
VEE Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis
WNV is also considered an equine viral encephalitis
2. arboviruses are the most common cause
a) Togaviruses most pathogenic
b) can be non-viral causes of equine encephalitis also
3. birds and rodents are most common reservoirs of virus
52. Transmission: from reservoir animal to horses by mosquito bites
Symptoms and disease:
1. CNS symptoms – see WNV
2. mortality rates are high
a) EEE – 75-100%
b) WEE – 30-50%
c) VEE – 40-80%
Treatment and control:
vaccine available
prevent exposure to mosquitoes
54. Basic anatomy:
a) prokaryotic
b) no membrane bound nucleus
c) DNA is free in the cytoplasm of the cell
• no other membrane bound organelles
d) has a plasma membrane surrounded by a cell wall
e) cell wall
• rigid – gives the bacterium its specific shape
• thick and tough - very important protective layer
• structure of cell wall differs in Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria
f) size
• Considerable variation
• about 1-5 micrometers in diameter or length
g) some form endospores
• often just called spores
• highly resistant to heat and disinfection
• may survive harsh environments for a very long time
55. Classification of bacteria:
based on 2 things
1. Gram reaction
a) based on results of staining with a Gram Stain
b) different bacteria stain differently based on differences in cell wall structure
c) very important in diagnosis and treatment
e.g. many antibiotics will work on one Gram group and not the other
Gram Positive bacteria
a) stain very dark purple with Gram Stain
b) thicker cell wall
Gram Negative bacteria
a) stain light pink/orangish with Gram Stain
b) thinner cell wall
56. 2. Shape
3 major shapes
1) Coccus (sing.) Cocci (pl.)
Round
2) Bacillus (sing.) Bacilli (pl.)
rod shaped
sometimes called “rods”
3) Spirillum (sing.) Spirilli (pl.)
look like tiny corkscrews
much less common than cocci and bacilli
57. 3. all bacteria are classified according to Gram reaction and shape
Gram negative bacillus
Gram positive bacillus
Gram positive coccus
58. Life Cycle:
1. very simple
2. no immature or juvenile stages
3. divide by binary fission
basically one adult divides into two new adults
Diagnosis:
1. Involves collection of specimen from patient
must be done aseptically
2. May involve direct microscopic evaluation of live bacteria
3. Usually requires culture of the bacterium on culture medium
4. Usually requires Gram Staining and other lab tests to identify
5. May use antibody tests
6. Culture may be sent to another lab for definitive diagnosis
59. Major treatment strategies:
1. antibiotics – antimicrobial agents
2. each antibiotic is effective against specific groups of
microorganisms
called the spectrum of the antibiotic
3. many bacteria have become resistant to specific
antibiotics
should test cultures for antibiotic sensitivity
60. Some common veterinary bacterial infections:
1. Staphylococcus spp.
2. Description:
• Gram Positive Coccus
• occurs in clumps – looks like clumps of grapes
• extremely resistant to destruction in the environment
• ubiquitous – they are everywhere
• normally present on skin- can infect body through skin lesions or through
mucous membranes
• most common Staphylococcus aureus
61. Symptoms and diseases:
often isolated from pyogenic lesions
• infected wounds
• dermatitis
• otitis
• conjunctivitis
• cystitis
… many others
Mastitis especially in ruminants- causes decrease in milk
production and visible change in quality of milk
common cause of skin and subcutaneous infections
common cause of urinary infections
63. 2. Streptococcus spp.
Description:
• Gram Positive Coccus
• occurs in chains or pairs – looks like beads on a string
• normally found on mucous membranes
Tonsils
Skin
intestinal tract
bovine udder
… others
• some are fecal
• all but the fecal strep do not survive long in environment
Transmission:
through direct contact or aerosol
often through milker’s hands and milking machines
64. Symptoms and diseases:
1. can cause pyogenic infections and mastitis in all mammals
2. Dairy Cows and Goats
a) one of the most common causes of mastitis
b) can be acute or chronic
c) can cause great economic losses in dairy industry
3. Horses
a) causes “Strangles”
b) also called “Equine Distemper”
c) Streptococcus equi
65.
66. d) causes pus-like discharge from nose and swollen throat
and lower jaw
• hard to swallow – “strangles”
• lymph nodes in neck fill with pus and often burst
• fever, depression, etc.
e) diagnosis – culture S. equi from pus from nostrils
f) usually not fatal – horse usually recovers
g) very contagious within a herd
• passed easily by food, water, tack
• direct or indirect contact
h) vaccine available
• nasal aerosol vaccine is very good
i) not zoonotic
67. Swine
a) Streptococcus suis
b) can cause meningitis or septicemia
c) meningitis – infects CNS
• lameness, convulsions, paralysis, death
• death may be sudden
d) septicemia – blood infection
• “fading piglet syndrome”
• mostly in weanling pigs
• pneumonia often leading to sudden death
e) zoonotic
• passed to humans through wounds on skin or on mucus membranes
• can cause bacterial meningitis or TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) in humans.
*Caution* – may have asymptomatic carrier pigs
68.
69. 3. Borrelia burgdorferi – Lyme Disease
Description:
• a Gram Positive Spirullium
• slow-growing bacterium
• does not grow well in most environments
except grows very well in some animal hosts
reservoir host – voles and mice
transport hosts -“deer ticks” or “black-legged ticks”
a) in Northeast mostly Ixodes scapularis
b) pick up organisms from mice and voles and transport them to humans,
cats, dogs, other animals
c)mostly found in grasslands and woodlands and like to feed on deer,
sheep, horses and rodents
70. Symptoms and disease:
1. causes Lyme Disease in dogs, humans and cats
a) we will not discuss human disease
b) cat disease similar to dog disease but not nearly as common
2. most common symptoms in dogs (and cats)
a) sudden lameness of one or more joints
b) swelling of joints and lymph nodes
c) also may be fever, anorexia, lethargy
d) symptoms often last only three or four days but recur at intervals of several
weeks or months
3) in some cases may cause severe heart, kidney, or neurological problems
4) many animals may have been infected but never show signs of illness
71. Treatment:
1. antibiotics
2. most animals respond to treatment within three to four days
3. animal may be re-infected and get the disease again even after being
treated once
Prevention:
1. vaccine is available
• RECOMMENDED FOR ALL DOGS, MAY CAUSE SOME SORENESS AT INJECTION SITE
2. tick prevention and removal is best
72.
73. Ehrlichia canis and Ehrlichia ewingii - cause of Ehrlichiosis (common in dogs)
Description:
1. a Rickettsia
• small Gram negative obligate intracellular cocci
2. infect and live inside white blood cells (leukotrophic disease)
3. infect many animals and humans
Symptoms and disease: multi-systemic and rather nonspecific symptoms
3 phases of the illness:
Acute phase
1. mild
2. lethargy, loss of appetite, enlarged lymph nodes
3. low platelet count
4. joint pain
5. usually dog recovers from this phase
6. lasts about 2 to 4 weeks
7. during this phase, the Ehrlichia is infecting the WBC’s and the spleen
74. Subclinical phase
1. dogs appear to be normal
2. this stage can last up to several years
3. organism is hiding in the spleen
Chronic phase
1. dog gets sick again
2. may have abnormal bleeding (low platelet count)
3. kidney damage, loss of blood cells
4. may think the dog has leukemia at this Stage
5. may be neurological symptoms and arthritis
75. Transmission: ticks - mainly the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus spp.) and other
ticks as well
Diagnosis and treatment:
1. fever, enlarged lymph nodes, bleeding
2. low platelet counts
3. blood test
4. treatment with tetracycline type antibiotics
Prevention: tick control
76.
77. Anaplasmosis in Dogs
Tick born disease caused by Anaplasma phagocytophilum
Transmitted by deer tick and western black legged tick
Lesser form Anaplasma platys transmitted by brown dog
tick
78. Signs of Anaplasmosis
Lameness, joint pain, lethargy, anorexia
Most symptoms 1-7 days
Less common in cats but can happen
Can cause thrombocytopenia
79. Diagnosis/treatment of
Anaplasma
SNAP or Accuplex test in hospital
ELISA, IFA and PCR sent out to lab
Treatment
- 2-4 weeks of doxycycline just like lyme disease
- May need NSAIDS
- Excellent prognosis for recovery
- What if dog is positive and not sick? Should we treat?
Rec aggressive tick control and retest
80. Clostridium spp.
Description:
1. Gram Positive Bacillus
2. large, anaerobic, spore-forming
some can grow in low oxygen
3. produce potent toxins that produce extensive tissue damage
4. infections may be accompanied by accumulation of gas
5. normally found in soil, sewage, feces, water, feed, and GI tract of
herbivores
81. Symptoms and diseases:
3 main diseases/syndromes
1. Enterotoxemia
a) Clostridium perfringens
b) dysentery. diarrhea, toxemia
c) C. perfringens is ingested by host
d) hemorrhagic gastroenteritis in dogs
e) can be fatal in ruminants and swine
high mortality in lambs, calves, pigs and foals
82. 2. Tetanus
a) Clostridium tetani
b) all species of domestic animals (esp. in horses)
c) bacterium usually enters body through puncture wound
d) muscular spasms
esp. in head and neck
lockjaw (masseter muscle)
e) death usually by dehydration
83. 3. Botulism
a) Clostridium botulinum
b) C. botulinum produces a very powerful neurotoxin
c) can be ingested or enter host through a wound
d) ataxia, recumbency, paralysis of hind quarters
84. Escherichia coli
Description:
1. small Gram Negative Rods (or coccobacilli)
2. normally part of intestinal flora but can cause disease under the right
circumstances
3. fecal-oral route is most common means of infection
Symptoms and disease:
1. cause of diarrhea, vomiting, gastroenteritis in many types of animals
2. dehydration and loss of electrolytes may cause death
3. especially dangerous to suckling and weanling pigs and neonatal calves
4. may also cause urinary tract infections or respiratory infections
5. also may cause mastitis in dairy cows
86. Pasteurella multocida
Description:
1. small Gram Negative Bacilli (or coccobacilli)
2. causes a wide variety of diseases in many different animals
Symptoms and disease:
1. serious infection in animals and humans
2. wound infection in dogs and cats
• normally found in mouth of dogs and cats
• opportunistic pathogen
3. respiratory tract infections in most animals
4. snuffles in rabbits
• common and VERY IMPORTANT
• pneumonia and upper respiratory infection
• sneezing, coughing, runny eyes and nose
5. cause of swine plague
• pneumonia-like symptoms
• high fever, cough, anorexia
• almost always a secondary infection
87.
88. Treatment: Penicillin and other antibiotics
Zoonotic:
1. through bites and scratches from animal
2. pneumonia in humans
• usually not fatal in humans
89. Bordetella
Description:
1. small Gram Negative Bacilli (and coccobacilli)
2. normally found in upper respiratory tract of dogs and swine
3. often causes secondary infection in dogs with distemper
4. spread by droplet inhalation
Symptoms and disease:
1. a cause of kennel cough or bronchopneumonia in dogs
2. often associated with distemper
3. honking, unproductive cough
90.
91. Leptospirosis in Dogs
Caused by Leptospira
Causes serious damage to kidney and liver and may be
fatal in severe cases
ZOONOTIC
Passed in urine and dogs are exposed in rivers, streams,
puddles that have become infected with urine or
rodents or other dogs
Become infected and develop lepto if mm or any wound
come in contact with infected urine, urine
contaminated soil, water, food or bedding or bite from
infected animal or eating infected tissues , can also be
passed through placenta
92. Signs of leptospirosis
No signs, mild illness, severe illness and death
Fever of unknown origin, increased thirst, increased
urine, loss of appetite, lethargy, jaundice,
Can cause kidney failure with or without liver failure
Can cause bleeding disorders, blood tinged vomit, urine
or stool, nosebleeds, swollen legs or excess fluid in
abdomen
93. Treatment and prevention of
leptospirosis
Antibiotics and supportive care
Early and aggressive treatment usually works
Avoid contact with urine
VACCINATE
94. Fungi
Description:
1. study of fungi called mycology
• myco means fungi
2. belong to Kingdom Fungi
3. includes molds and yeasts
4. yeasts – unicellular fungi
5. molds – multicellular fungi
• form tubular filaments called hyphae
• tangled mass of hyphae is called a mycelium
• produce fuzzy looking colonies of growth
• strictly aerobic
• all are Gram Positive
95. 6. reproduce by:
1. fragmentation of cells
2. budding of cells (yeast)
3. producing spores
mold spores are highly resistant
not as highly resistant as bacterial spores
round or oval microscopic structures
7. essentially all are zoonotic
96. Types of diseases
1. fungi are saprophytes so their pathogenicity is
accidental
2. cause disease in three ways
a) systemic or subcutaneous infection
1) these are called deep mycoses
2) not that common
3) fungus directly invades healthy tissue
4) are usually normally present in animal and causes disease when host is very weak
97. b) Mycotoxicoses
1) fungi produce toxic substances that cause disease when
ingested
2) mainly caused by molds growing on feed stocks (stored grains)
3) usually causes subclinical symptoms of poor growth,
depression, salivation, kidney liver problems, etc.
c) cutaneous infections
1) called superficial mycoses
2) fungi causing these are called dermatophytes
3) fungi are living on dead tissues
hair, nails, outer layer of skin
4) may not evoke immune response from host
5) may cause irritation
itching, etc
98. Some common fungal infections:
1. Yeast infections- these are deep mycoses
Cryptococcus:
a) disease is called cryptococcosis
b) subacute or chronic disease of dogs, cats, farm animals and people
c) respiratory disease in dogs and cats
d) not sensitive to antibiotics
99. Dermatophytes:
a) do not penetrate the skin – live on superficial dead skin
b) often called “ringworm” - lesions are typically circular
c) diagnosis by:
skin scrapings followed by microscopic exam and/or culture
Wood’s lamp – 40% of ringworms are fluorescent under black light
d) treatment: topical or internal antimycotics
Microsporum canis
1. main cause of ringworm in dogs and cats
2. lesions can be all over body, but are mostly on head, ears, and eyes
3. lesions are circular areas of hair loss with scaling and crusting