Despite the tremendous amount of research being done on distemper, it still continues to be a major dog killer. It is an acute, highly infectious disease caused by a virus. Young dogs, especially puppies, are the most frequent and numerous victims. Nursing puppies, however, are rarely affected, since a certain degree of immunity is passed to them from their mother by way of colostrum-milk. But to get this natural immunity, the pups must partake of the colostrum-milk during the first 8 to 24 hours of life.



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First, it should be pointed out that rabies is a relatively rare dog disease. Very few veterinarians or dog breeders have ever seen a case of rabies. Yet no other disease of man or animal has been surrounded with as much superstition, fear or fiction as rabies. It is one of the oldest diseases, dating back to several centuries before Christ. Rabies is basically a disease of canines; i.e., the domestic dog, coyote, wolf, dingo, and pariah dog. But it is transmissible to other animals, including man, squirrel, fox, skunk, rabbit, mink, horse, cow; even the bat. Some birds are susceptible to the disease. However, the chief victims are members of the dog family. And since the dog lives close to man, the disease assumes a position of great importance.



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Not too long ago, infectious canine hepatitis was confused with distemper or at least considered to be part of what many veterinarians called the "distemper complex." Today, hepatitis is considered to be a separate disease.

Canine hepatitis is another virus disease. The virus is spread by direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva or urine of an infected animal. Affecting the liver and usually running a short course of a few days, hepatitis can be fatal if treatment is delayed. The canine hepatitis virus is not the same one that infects human beings.



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The last of the "Big Four" is leptospirosis, a bacterial disease of dogs, human beings and other animals. It occurs in two forms: 1) canicola fever, and 2) Weil's disease. Both types are transmissible from animals to man. The organisms causing leptospirosis belong to the spirochete group of bacteria.




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