Leptospirosis, or infectious jaundice - is a disease that can affect a person. The causative agent of the disease is not visible to the naked eye. In addition to dogs, leptospirosis is affected by cats, rats, birds, foxes and foxes. Puppies and young dogs are more susceptible to the disease, besides, it is more difficult for them. The source of infection are rodents and wild animals. You can pick up the pathogen from anywhere. However, leptosphere carriers are of great danger, which can be infectious from 200 to 1000 days. Lifelong carriers of leptospirosis are rodents.
Leptospirosis in dogs: symptoms
The disease can be acute, subacute and chronically. The temperature rises, breathing is frequent, bloody urine, icteric, oppression and severe weakness, agitation, riot, filiform pulse appear. There is a lightning-fast and chronic form. The incubation period lasts 3-20 days. Very often death occurs.
Depression, fever, refusal to eat, rising temperature, shortness of breath, frequent vomiting and diarrhea, followed by constipation - these are the signs of leptospirosis in dogs. In the urine and feces appears blood. In large quantities in the urine is found protein. On the mucosa appear affected areas, which pass into the hearths. They can also appear on the skin. The dog can have nervous disorders, the mucosa turns yellow due to a malfunction of the liver. Usual such jaundice proceeds more easily, hemorrhagic lasts much longer. An accurate diagnosis during life is put on symptoms, a pure culture of leptospira is released from a dead animal.
Leptospirosis in dogs: treatment
The exact method of treatment of animals with leptospirosis is not established. At an early stage of the disease, attention should be paid to preventing the propagation of the pathogen in the body. When most of the pathogens die, you need to support the function of the liver, kidneys.
Treatment of leptospirosis should be started as early as possible, with the appointment of antibiotics penicillin or tetracycline group. The later from the onset of the development of the disease to begin a specific treatment, the less likely to save an animal. The animal is injected with an antileptospiral serum, a solution of camphor. An immunoglobulin is prescribed. In acute renal failure, drugs such as lasix are used, and the drug "artificial kidney" is used. Inflamed parts of the mucosa are treated with 0.5% solution of potassium permanganate.
Jaundice in dogs occurs due to liver diseases (severe and chronic), as a result of which its structure and blood cholestasis change. The kidneys stop coping with their work. Bile accumulates in the blood, which can lead to death. If there is a violation of the liver, edema appears in the abdomen and ascites.
Means against leptospirosis in dogs
A good remedy for the disease at an early stage are serums. They are effective, but the main thing is that the pathogens coincide. Serums are good from sick dogs.
The disease is widely treated with antibiotics, such as streptomycin, penicillin, tetracycline, levomycetin, neomycin, polymyxin,
As for the use of antibiotics, there are constant disputes, as the habituation begins. A combination of several antibiotics is suggested. In the treatment of leptospirosis, a new series of antibiotics, quinolone and cephalosporin series began to be used. For normal liver function, vitagepate, sireppar, lipoic acid, vitamins B2, B6 and B12, glutamic, ascorbic and folic acids are administered. Prednisolone and dexamethasone are used. Suffering cardiovascular insufficiency is recommended to use cocarboxylase.