Infectious Canine Hepatitis
Infectious canine hepatitis is a dog disease that is contagious and can also infect wildlife carnivores like bears, coyotes, and foxes. A vaccination for infectious canine hepatitis can prevent this disease. Infectious canine hepatitis most commonly affects puppies under one year of age.
The vaccination for infectious canine hepatitis most effectively protects the dog if given when the puppy is nine to twelve weeks old. Even though puppies are at the greatest risk of infectious canine hepatitis, an unvaccinated dog of any age is at risk.
The virus that causes this dog disease is spread through direct contact with an infected dog or contact with contaminated body fluids like urine, saliva, and nasal discharge. Dogs may also acquire the viral infection from contaminated food bowls, cages, or other items.
Sore throat, fever, and coughing are typically the first symptoms of infectious canine hepatitis. The virus may then start affecting the dog’s eyes, kidneys, and liver. Infectious canine hepatitis often causes a low white blood cell count.
A dog that has acquired a hepatitis infection may develop a bluish tint to its corneas. The eyes may appear cloudy and may become sensitive to light. Dogs may experience vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and seizures.
Infectious canine hepatitis can cause bleeding problems. The dog may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums. Some dogs with this disease develop swelling of the head, neck, and trunk and hematomas which are collections of blood under the skin.
There is no fast cure for infectious canine hepatitis. The veterinary treatment is antibiotics and supportive care with intravenous fluids. In severe cases, the dog may need a blood transfusion.
Infectious canine hepatitis is a potentially fatal dog disease. A dog may die as quickly as two hours after the first symptoms. Young puppies are most likely to die from infectious canine hepatitis.
The urine of a dog that was treated for infectious canine hepatitis can still be contaminated and spread the disease for up to nine months even if the dog has fully recovered. Humans are not in danger of contracting hepatitis from dogs. The hepatitis that can infect humans is not the same as infectious canine hepatitis.
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