Pseudorabies in Dogs

Pseudorabies, also known as Aujesky's disease, is a problem caused by the alphaherpesvirus that affects the central nervous system and various organs in the body. Pigs are the only species that survive after contracting pseudorabies and are therefore considered the natural host for the virus. In addition to pigs, farm animals such as dogs, cats, and sheep, or some wild animals such as skunks, are also affected by this virus.

Pseudorabies is transmitted through nose-to-nose or fecal contact. Pseudorabies is a rare problem in dogs. It is more common among dogs living in herds on farms. Unlike pigs, the chances of survival for dogs infected with this virus are unfortunately negligible. Also, the chance of survival for puppies younger than two weeks old, if infected, is 0%, just like for piglets of the same age.

Symptoms of Pseudorabies

Symptoms usually appear 2-3 days after infection. Common symptoms in dogs with pseudorabies include:

• Fever,
• Difficulty breathing,
• Seizures,
• Intense itching,
• Merkezi sinir sistemi problemleri
• Strange behavior,
• Drawing circles,
• Paralysis,
• Hyperesthesia,
• Sudden death.

The symptoms seen in dogs are actually the same as the symptoms of rabies. In general, rabies causes similar symptoms in both dogs and cats. You can find detailed information about rabies in cats in our related content. Therefore, the disease is known as pseudorabies. The virus primarily replicates in the tonsils, pharyngeal and nasal tissues. Spread then occurs to the lymph nodes, brain and spleen tissues. While invading the body, the virus also multiplies rapidly. Causes of Pseudorabies Thanks to strict measures, pseudorabies is very rare in dogs. Pseudorabies is more commonly transmitted between pigs through nose-to-nose contact. Therefore, pigs can have significant amounts of the virus in their nasal mucus. The most common potential causes of pseudorabies include using contaminated food or water bowls. The viral infection is usually contagious for 2-5 days.

Causes of Pseudorabies

Thanks to strict measures, pseudorabies is very rare in dogs. Pseudorabies is more commonly transmitted between pigs through nose-to-nose contact. Therefore, pigs can have significant amounts of the virus in their nasal mucus. The most common potential causes of pseudorabies include using contaminated food or water bowls. The viral infection is usually contagious for 2-5 days.

The virus can be found in the milk, urine, nasal discharge, or tonsils of pigs. The virus can be transmitted to other animals through contact via human shoes, skin, or clothing. Under suitable conditions, the virus can survive for several days in grass, soil, or feces. The alphaherpesvirus, which causes pseudorabies, can also be transmitted through the air via droplets. For a dog to become infected, it is sufficient for it to inhale these virus droplets.

How is it Diagnosed?

If you notice symptoms of pseudorabies in your dog, you should take it to a veterinarian immediately. Since there is no cure for pseudorabies, you can prevent your dog from suffering unnecessarily by taking it to the vet right away. When you go for the examination, you should describe your dog's health history and mention any contact with pigs or other wild animals.

It is possible that your dog does not have pseudorabies. An allergic reaction to medication, ingestion of toxic chemicals, encephalitis, and rabies can also cause symptoms similar to pseudorabies. In addition to a blood test to look for antibodies against the virus, a tissue sample from the nose or tonsils can be taken for a definitive diagnosis. However, according to research, dogs are at risk of succumbing to the virus before antibodies appear. Therefore, diagnostic tools such as blood tests do not have a 100% chance of providing a positive diagnosis.

Treatment Methods

There is no treatment for pseudorabies. The survival rate of infected dogs is extremely low. Dogs rarely become hosts for pseudorabies and may survive. Dogs younger than two weeks old usually die from encephalitis.