Pet Handbook: Love for Dogs

Author: A Dong, Yu Chen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features: Keep a health manual for your beloved dog: This book is written for pet owners who are preparing to or have already welcomed a dog into their home. Starting with the preparations before getting a dog, it introduces the physiological characteristics, habits, daily management, and training of dogs, all the way to breeding and the prevention and treatment of canine diseases. The content is comprehensive and detailed, free of empty talk, emphasizing the combination of theory and practice. Its focus on daily life and practicality makes this book a bible for dog owners in selecting, raising, and training their dogs.
Excerpt: Pseudorabies Pseudorabies, also known as Aujeszky's disease, exhibits similar symptoms to rabies during outbreaks, but it was proven by Hungarian scholar Albert Szent-Gy?rgyi to be unrelated to the rabies virus. The pseudorabies virus primarily exists in infected pigs and sheds through secretions and excrement, making sick pigs the main transmission for the virus. Various domestic animals and wildlife can be infected. This virus can be transmitted not only through the digestive tract but also through the respiratory tract and skin wounds. When the virus is prevalent in a pig farm, dogs may be the first to show symptoms or develop the disease simultaneously with pigs, with a very high mortality rate, though they do not shed the virus externally. Symptoms and Diagnosis The dog becomes extremely restless, with a frightened gaze, often barking aimlessly without responding to calls. The site of viral invasion itches intensely. Initially, the dog licks the area with its tongue, then proceeds to bite, scratch, or rub its mouth and face against other objects. After the onset of the disease, saliva gradually increases, breathing becomes rapid and difficult; appetite decreases or the dog refuses to eat; and extreme thirst develops. The dog typically succumbs to exhaustion within 24 hours, but it shows no aggression toward humans or animals. Treatment Methods A. Vaccinate the dog with the "pseudorabies live attenuated vaccine" based on its exposure to pigs and consumption of pork. B. Isolate the sick dog immediately, disinfect contaminated kennels with a 2% sodium hydroxide solution, and treat with hyperimmune serum. C. Prohibit the dog from entering pig farms or coming into contact with pigs. D. Prevent and control rodents, and prohibit the dog from eating dead rodents.