Vet Assistant: Core Animal Diseases
I. Canine - Common diseases prevented with canine vaccines.
B. Hepatitis: A viral disease that lives in the lymph nodes and spreads to the liver.
1. Transmission: direct oronasal route, ectoparasites, fomites
2. Symptoms: abdominal pain, bloody vomiting, bloody diarrhea,
enlarged abdomen, epistaxis
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: death can occur within 5 days of symptoms
C. Leptospirosis: Bacterial disease that attacks the kidney, muscles, and liver.
1. Transmission: urine or direct contact with body fluids
2. Symptoms: muscle tenderness, vomiting, renal and hepatic
failure, fever, anorexia
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: guarded
5. Zoonotic potential
D. Parainfluenza: A virus that attacks the upper respiratory system.
1. Transmission: direct contact with body fluids or air
2. Symptoms: fever, coughing, conjunctivitis, lethargy, anorexia
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: good
H. Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorfei): A bacteria disease found in the northeastern, north central and
west coast of the US.
1. Transmission: deer tick
2. Symptoms: fever, myocarditis, inflammatory joints
3. Treatment: long term antibiotic
I. Rabies: A virus that attacks the central nervous system.
1. Transmission: body secretions from infected animals
Top carriers of rabies are skunks, raccoons, bats, foxes, and coyotes.
Incubation period:
a. Dogs 3-8 weeks
b. Cats 2-6 weeks
c. Horses 2-3 weeks
d. Humans 3-6 weeks
2. Symptoms – divided into phases
a. Prodormal: lasts 1-3 days average; the animal will show subtle
behavior changes and run a fever
b. Furious: lasts 1-7 days average; the becomes increasing restless with
episodes of aggression, ataxis, disorientation, seizures; horses will show
excessive salivation and choking
c. Paralytic: animal shows paralysis and respiratory failure; death follows
quickly
3. Diagnosis: Any bite case should be reported to the local health authorities.
There is a 10 day quarantine period for bite cases involving vaccinated dogs.
Suspected rabid animals should be euthanized and have their head sent to the state
lab to be tested. The lab looks for Negri bodies found at the base of the brain.
4. Treatment: euthanize
5. Zoonotic
II. Feline - Common diseases prevented with feline vaccines.
A. Rhinotracheitis (Feline herpesvirus -1): A virus that attacks the upper respiratory system especially
in kittens.
1. Transmission: body fluids, air
2. Symptoms: severe URI symptoms, depression, sneezing,
ocular/nasal discharge, dyspnea, coughing
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: grave (mortality high in kittens)
B. Calicivirus: A virus that attacks the upper respiratory system.
1. Transmission: body fluids, air
2. Symptoms: mild URI symptoms
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: good
C. Panleukopenia: A virus that attacks the lymph nodes and internal organs.
1. Transmission: body fluids, biting insects, air
2. Symptoms: can have a sudden onset, fever, anorexia, weight loss, vomiting,
diarrhea, leukopenia
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: grave
H. Rabies
See canine diseases
III. Equine - Common diseases prevented with equine vaccines.
B. Equine Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping Sickness): A virus that attacks the central nervous system.
Several strains of the disease – Western (WEE), Eastern (EEE), Venezuelan (VEE).
1. Transmission: mosquito
2. Symptoms: irregular gait, loss of muscular coordination, compulsive walking, difficulty
swallowing, seizures, dementia, fever, head pressing, circling, blindness
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: grave –death
Has affected humans if bitten by the mosquito that carries the virus
G. Strangles: A bacteria that attacks the mandibular lymph nodes.
1. Transmission: air, body secretions, fomites; highly contagious
2. Symptoms: Incubation is 3-14 days; fever, nasal discharge, abscess mandibular lymph nodes,
weight loss, internal abscesses (bastard strangles), dysphasia, and pharyngitis
3. Treatment: lance and flush the mandibular abscesses, antibiotics
Quarantine the horse during treatment
2% of infected horses can become chronic carriers and shed the
bacteria with no symptoms.
4. Prognosis: good
I. Rabies
See canine diseases
IV. Bovine - Common diseases prevented with bovine vaccines
A. Clostridium diseases: Bacteria commonly found in the soil and environment. Prognosis from most
of these diseases is grave.
1. Chauvei (Black leg)
a. Symptoms: high fever, lack of appetite, lameness or muscle swelling
Cows can die suddenly prior to symptoms
2. Sordellii (gas gangrene) from wound infections
a. Symptoms: gangrene, abomastitis
3. Haemolyticum (Redwater)
a. Symptoms
4. Novyi (Black disease – necrotic hepatitis)
a. Symptoms: dark red urine, fresh blood in the feces, arched back, reluctant to move
5. Perfringens (Enterotoxemia- dysentery, overeating disease)
a. Symptoms: diarrhea, bloat, sudden death; some types can cause kidney problems
6. Septicum (Malignant edema)
a. Symptoms: fluid subcutaneous, decreased appetite, lethargic
7. Tetanus
a. Symptoms: ataxia, difficulty moving, dysphagia, seizures, death
8. Botulism (neuro-paralytic disease): found in decaying carcasses and plant matter
a. Symptoms: lack of muscle tone and progressive muscle weakness, dysphagia
B. Bovine Viral Diarrhea: A virus that attacks the gastrointestinal area and upper respiratory system.
1. Transmission: air, direct contact
2. Symptoms: mild transient diarrhea, GI ulcers, abortions, nasal/ocular discharge, coughing,
fever
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: guarded
C. Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR): A virus that attacks the upper respiratory system.
1. Transmission: air, direct contact
2. Symptoms: high fever, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, coughing, dyspnea, abortions
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: guarded
D. Parainfluenza (Shipping Fever): A virus that attacks the upper
respiratory system.
1. Transmission: air, direct contact
2. Symptoms: mild upper respiratory symptoms, fever, nasal discharge, coughing, weight loss,
depression, weakness; associated with stress and shipping
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: guarded
E. Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus: A virus that attacks the lower respiratory system
1. Transmission: air, direct contact
2. Symptoms: fever, anorexia, lethargic, pneumonia symptoms
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: guarded
V. Llama/alpaca - Common diseases prevented with alpaca/llama vaccines
A. Clostridium perfringens type C, D
1. See bovine diseases
B. Tetanus
1. See bovine diseases
VI. Ovine/Caprine – Common diseases prevented with ovine/caprine vaccines
A. Clostridium perfringens type C, D
1. See bovine diseases
B. Tetanus
1. See bovine diseases
VII. Porcine – Common diseases prevented with porcine vaccines
C. Parvo: A virus that multiplies in the intestines but causes abortions in females. Otherwise no other
symptoms
E. Pseudorabies: A virus that attacks the central nervous system.
1. Transmission:
2. Symptoms: fever, tremors, ataxis, seizures, death
3. Prognosis: death
VIII. Ferret – Common diseases prevented with ferrets vaccines
A. Distemper: A virus that attacks the central nervous system
1. Transmission: air, direct contact, fomites
2. Symptoms: anorexia, fever, eyes blinking and serious nasal discharge, muscle tremors,
seizures
3. Treatment: death
B. Rabies: see canine diseases
IX. Avian – Common diseases prevented with avian vaccines
A. Polyoma: A virus that attacks the body as a whole. Commonly seen in Budgies and Lovebirds
1. Transmission: feather dust, feces, air
2. Symptoms: swollen abdomen, depression, decreased appetite,
anorexia, delayed crop emptying, feather/skin problems
3. Treatment: supportive
4. Prognosis: grave
B. Pacheco’s Disease: A herpes virus that attacks the central nervous
system.
1. Transmission: air, direct contact
2. Symptoms: sudden death, weak muscles, lethargic, seizures
3. Treatment: death
C. Newcastles Disease (Paramyxovirus) A virus that attack the respiratory system and central nervous
system. Commonly seen in poultry
1. Transmission: direct contact, body secretions
2. Symptoms: gasping, coughing, depression, decreased appetite,
muscle tremors, drooping wings, twisting of head and neck,
circling, complete paralysis, swelling of the tissues around the
eyes and neck, greenish, watery diarrhea, reduced egg production.
3. Treatment: euthanize
E
4. Zoonotic potential: in humans you will see flu-like symptoms