Seasons of providing services to dogs

Diseases to which dogs are prone are characterized by seasonality. This makes it possible to divide the peak activity of the causative agents of certain diseases into periods. Conditionally, we distinguish a period of heat and cold, which corresponds to the frequent provision of veterinary care to animals.

Spring and summer season

Most often, it is in the spring and summer that dogs are infected with these diseases:

• Rabies.
  The disease is incurable, it is fatal for all infected. There is a risk for a dog to become infected in nature, for example, in the country from infected wild and domestic animals. A special threat is posed by foxes, since the formation of packs is observed in the spring. A pet can become infected both directly from a predator and from a dog or cat bitten by a fox.
• Piroplasmosis (babeziosis).
  It is spread by Ixodes ticks. If the animal is not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner, it dies within 5 days after the onset of symptoms (high temperature, weakness of the hind limbs, refusal to eat, diarrhea and vomiting with blood).
• Leptospirosis.
  Harmful bacteria enter the pet's body through wounds or mucous membranes. A dog can become infected after drinking from a puddle or contaminated dishes, when swimming in a reservoir and contact with a sick animal, excrement, for example, a rat. Without proper intervention by a veterinarian, the animal dies.
• Helminthiasis (worm infestation).
  Being in nature, dogs usually show interest in everything. It's a lot of fun to try, but it's not always safe. For example, a puppy that drank water from a river and accidentally swallowed a tadpole can easily become infected with an intestinal trematode, which is a parasitic flatworm.

Autumn-winter period and nuances of seasonality of diseases

With the onset of wet and cool, and then frosty days, other dangers appear for dogs:

1. Plague of carnivores. It is characterized by fever, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the respiratory, alimentary and urinary tracts, and the development of paralysis. Large breeds of dogs are most susceptible to the disease. They are difficult to treat and usually die without the intervention of a veterinarian.
2. Parainfluenza. You may also be diagnosed with an adenovirus infection. A sudden cough is a characteristic sign of an illness that disrupts the functioning of the organs of the respiratory system.

Some diseases are more often recorded in autumn and spring, such as viral hepatitis. It can be transmitted both by direct contact with an infected wild or stray animal, and through fleas. We called the division into seasons conditional for a reason. For example, helminthiasis, plague of carnivores, rabies and parvovirus infection can occur at any time of the year.

For prevention, it is better to vaccinate the dog from an early age: 6–8 weeks and adhere to the vaccination calendar. If you plan to vaccinate an adult pet for the first time, do it at the Animal Clinic before the period of activity of pathogens of dangerous diseases.