Infectious Dog Diseases

An infectious disease is an illness that results from a pathogenic microorganism and dogs can contract a number of infectious diseases. Bacteria, fungus, parasites, viruses, ticks and fleas can cause infectious diseases in dogs. Dogs acquire infectious diseases by coming into contact with an infected agent, such as feces, bacteria or an infected animal.

  1. Bacteria

    • Plague is transmitted to a dog by a rodent flea.

      Brucellosis is a bacterium transmitted by rodent fleas that infects pregnant dogs and their fetuses. The three forms of plague that affect dogs are bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic. Staphylococcal pyoderma is a bacterial infection that causes skin infections.

    Fungus

    • Shih tzus is a breed of dog prone to yeast infections.

      Aspergillosis commonly occurs in dogs with a poor immune system. Blastomycosis is a fungal disease that lives near water in sandy, acidic soils. Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley Fever, causes respiratory disease in dogs. Cryptococcosis is a concern to dogs that have a poor immune system. Causing respiratory and intestinal problems, histoplasmosis lives in the soil and invades the body through the lungs. The fungus ringworm is common in dogs and appears as a tiny lesion without hair. A yeast, or malassezia infection, is common in dogs and is characterized by itchy skin.

    Parasites

    • Dogs bitten by infected parasites are susceptible to disease.

      Giardia lives in the small intestine and dogs become infected by eating the parasite. Leishmania donovani is a parasite of the blood cells transmitted by blood-sucking flies. Trypanosoma cruzi, caused by insects called kissing bugs, is transmitted to dogs through infected bug bites or eating infected bugs.

    Viruses

    • Kennel cough is a common infectious disease in dogs.

      Canine hepatitis is a liver disease spread by body fluids. Enteritis is a diarrhea-causing disease of the small intestine. Tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough, is an upper respiratory condition found in a large percentage of dogs. Eight strains of leptospirosis affect dogs. Transmission is through urine, bite wounds and ingestion of infected tissue. The rabies virus is transmitted through an infected animal bite and spreads through the nerves to the brain, eventually causing death.

    Ticks

    • Lyme disease is diagnosed by a blood test.

      Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an infectious disease transmitted by deer ticks. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted through the bite of an American dog tick or a Rocky Mountain spotted fever tick. Haemobartonellosis attacks the red blood cells and is transmitted by ticks and occasionally fleas. Piroplasmosis is a parasite that lives in the red blood cells and is transmitted by ticks. Ehrlichiosis is transmitted by the brown dog tick and the lone star tick.

    Puppies

    • Parvo is the most common infectious disease in dogs.

      The distemper virus is transmitted through the air by infected coughing dogs, and through urine and feces, mainly affecting puppies under six months old. Coronavirus causes diarrhea in puppies Herpes virus causes the death of puppies from ages one to three weeks. The highly contagious parvovirus, or parvo, is characterized by bloody diarrhea and spreads through infected feces. Most cases of parvo are in puppies under six months old. Rotavirus causes diarrhea in puppies younger than 12 weeks old and is spread through feces. Coccidiosis lives in the intestinal tract, most often in puppies under six months old.

    Rare

    • Sporotrichosis is more common in outdoor dogs.

      Frequently fatal pythiosis is contracted through open sores, drinking or swimming in stagnant water. Sporotrichosis lives in soil and organic waste, entering through a wound. Zygomycosis is an unusual skin disease that normally occurs in dogs that have a debilitating disease or a poor immune system. Hepatozoonis is a parasite transmitted by the brown dog tick. Tularemia, or rabbit fever, is a bacterial disease transmitted by ticks and flea bites.