Dog Coronavirus | Overview of Coronavirus in Dogs.

The instant reaction that any person passes after hearing the phrase “Dog Coronavirus” is Can dogs get covid?

Well, this topic requires discussion of its own. Let’s skip extraneous details regarding dogs and covid for now. Wrapping it up in a few words, healthcare professionals have spotted some cases of dogs getting covid in the last few months. However, researchers haven’t found any intricate shreds of evidence supporting the transmission of Covid from dogs to humans; along with this, the symptoms of covid in dogs were not that severe. So, you don’t need to worry as your dog’s chances of catching Covid are barely minimum, and till now, there is nothing considerably serious spotted in Covid dogs.

However, long before this pandemic boom! Dogs used to get coronavirus infections, and still, they do! But we are talking about canine Coronavirus. Unlike human COVID, which causes respiratory tract infection, this Coronavirus is responsible for intestine infection in dogs. There is no need to get confused! This blog will simplify the term Dog coronavirus for you. We will try to explain coronavirus symptoms in dogs and the canine coronavirus treatment.

• What really is Canine Coronavirus?
  • What are the Dog Coronavirus Symptoms?
  • How is Dog Coronavirus transmitted?
• How to treat a dog with Coronavirus?

So, what really is Canine Coronavirus?

Canine coronavirus (CCV) disease is an infectious condition that is very common in dogs. It was first diagnosed in the year 1971 among guard dogs in Germany. The virus is named Coronavirus due to its ringed shaped structure with projections that give the appearance of a coronet. The virus is responsible for the infection that affects the small intestine and the lymph nodes of dogs. Instead of mature dogs, this virus mainly affects young dogs. If not treated on time, it can be deadly too.

What are the Dog Coronavirus Symptoms?

In most cases, dogs don’t show any symptoms that can raise doubt that the Coronavirus infected the dog. However, if they do, the most common symptoms are;

• Frequent stools, especially with an orange tinge and mucous or blood in severe cases
• Feels Nauseous and throws up
• Loss of appetite in dogs
• Depressed and too lethargic

Frequent stooling can lead to an excess of dehydration, which can be checked by gently pulling up dogs’ skin. If the skin doesn’t come back to its original position in a favorable amount of time, your dog might be highly dehydrated, and it is better to take the pet to the vet as early as possible.

How is Dog Coronavirus transmitted?

As mentioned earlier, this virus is highly contagious. Therefore it is not advisable to take your dog to crowded places. This dogged virus is usually spread via oral contact with infected fecal matter. The dog can also get infected by direct contact with an already infected dog or ingesting contaminated food or water.

The virus can show the disease symptoms in one to four days after entering the dog’s body. The infected dog can remain ill for up to 10 or 12 days. Due to an already weak immune system, dogs’ suffering can stretch for additional days if infected by bacteria, parasites, and other viruses. This virus can survive up to six months inside the dog’s body, and the infected dog has the full potential to infect other dogs during this period.

How to Treat a Dog with Coronavirus?

Firstly, as mentioned, you cannot tell if a dog has Coronavirus merely with symptoms. Sometimes dogs don’t show any signs, and even if they do, it is easy to confuse it with other medical conditions. So, you need professional help here! Take your dog to a vet; they will do antibody and serum tests to check if the dog really has been infected with Coronavirus.

Coming to treatment, until now, there is no such medication that can cure the disease. However, the dog can prescribe antibiotics to control the small intestine infection, and respiratory problems and avoid secondary infection via bacteria, parasites, and other viruses. The vet can give the infected dog extra fluids and an electrolyte mixture to prevent dehydration by diarrhea. Vaccines are also available in the market that can help the infected dog, but these vaccines got nothing to do with the treatment of COVID-19 in dogs.

Once your dog is recovered, the virus will still take time to leave the dog’s body altogether. Therefore, you should take great care and avoid taking your dog to crowded places for a while. Along with this, discard the dog’s feces cautiously so that other dogs won’t catch the virus.

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