Fatal Diseases in Dogs

There are many diseases that can prove to be fatal to dogs, ranging from various forms of cancer to heart disease. Among the most common diseases that are often fatal to otherwise healthy young dogs are hepatitis, distemper, parvovirus, heartworm disease and leptospirosis.
For all of these diseases--with the exception of heartworms, for which there is a monthly preventative--an annual vaccination can protect your pet from contracting them.

  1. Canine Hepatitis

    • A viral infection, canine hepatitis is highly contagious. Hepatitis may cause sudden death. In some cases, symptoms such as high fever, anorexia, abdominal pain and jaundice are seen. Treatment is difficult, expensive and often not successful. An annual vaccination can protect dogs from this disease.

    Canine Distemper

    • An infectious disease, distemper is another disease for which treatment is difficult, expensive and not often successful. This disease mostly affect young dogs.
      Distemper begins with a fever that lasts for two or three days and then recurs about a week later. Symptoms often include respiratory problems, eye discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, muscle tremors, convulsions and paralysis.
      An annual vaccination and a complete set of puppy shots can protect dogs against this disease.

    Parvovirus

    • Another infectious disease, this one is most common in puppies and young dogs. This disease first occurred in the United States in 1978, but has since spread around the world. Common symptoms of parvovirus are bloody diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, depression and dehydration. Treatment for parvovirus is supportive and not often successful.
      An annual vaccination and a complete set of puppy shots can protect dogs against this disease.

    Heartworm Disease

    • Heartworm disease occurs in a dog when it is bitten by an infected mosquito. The worms live in the dog's heart, and if the dog does not receive treatment, the adult worms will eventually grow and reproduce to the point that the flow of blood to the dog's heart will become blocked. When this happens, the dog will die almost immediately from heart failure.
      A monthly heartworm preventative pill or monthly topical solution, available from your veterinarian, will protect your dog against heartworm infection.

    Leptospirosis

    • Leptospirosis is an often-fatal disease in canines. It is caused when dogs come in contact with the urine of an animal that is infected with the disease or when there is other exchange of bodily fluids, such as would happen with a bite wound. Symptoms of infection include vomiting, diarrhea, thirst and jaundice. Generally, dogs will only survive for a few hours after contracting the disease.
      A second type of leptospirosis slowly destroys dogs' kidneys, and dogs die of renal failure many years after being infected.