Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

84 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
Treatment: Clindamycin, pyrimethamine, and sulfadiazine have been
used in treatment.
Prevention: Dogs should not be fed raw or uncooked meat, especially beef.
Dogs should also be prevented from defecating in cattle yards and pastures to
help prevent exposure. Some veterinarians will attempt treating subsequent
litters of affected bitches in utero, as it is expected all future puppies will be
infected. This must begin after at least two weeks into the pregnancy, to avoid
damage to the developing embryos.
TOXOPLASMOSIS
This disease is caused by a protozoan that infects warm-blooded animals. Cats
are the definitive host, but other animals, including dogs and humans, can act
as intermediate hosts. It is not common in dogs. The principal mode of transmission
in dogs and people raw or undercooked pork, beef, mutton, or veal
that contains the organism Toxoplasma gondii.
Oocysts excreted in the stools of infected cats, or ingesting spores, are
other potential sources of infection. Oocysts require one to three days under
ideal conditions of warm temperature and high humidity to produce spores.
These infective spores can survive in the environment for months or years.
Only cats excrete the oocytes in their stool. The dog is therefore not capable
of infecting other dogs and humans in this way.
Most dogs with toxoplasmosis experience no symptoms. When symptoms
do occur, they include fever, loss of appetite, lethargy, cough, and rapid
breathing. Other signs are weight loss, diarrhea, lymph node enlargement,
and swelling of the abdomen. Young puppies with toxoplasmosis may show
signs of pneumonia, hepatitis, or encephalitis. In brood bitches, intrauterine
infection can result in abortion, stillbirths, and the birth of sick puppies who
die within the first week of life.
The diagnosis is made by serology. An elevated IgM titer (by ELISA tests)
is diagnostic for active or recent infection.
Treatment: Antibiotics are available to treat acute toxoplasmosis.
Clindamycin is the drug of choice.
Prevention: Prevent the disease by keeping your pet from roaming and
hunting. Cook all fresh meat (both yours and your pets’) to a temperature of
at least 150°F (65.5°C). Wash your hands with soap and water after handling
raw meat. Always clean kitchen surfaces that come in contact with raw meat.
COCCIDIOSIS
This disease is caused by a species of coccidia commonly found in the feces of
puppies and, occasionally, adult dogs. The main sign is diarrhea. Because infection
is mild, symptoms usually do not occur unless the pup’s resistance has been
lowered by a concurrent disease, malnutrition, or immunosuppression.