L e th b rid g e H e ra ld


T h is c o m m o n v ir u s c a n a f f e c t y o u n g p u p s


B y M e tro N e w s Ju ve n ile d o g s, m u ch like th e ir sim ila rly a g e d


h u m a n co m p a n io n s, h a ve im m a tu re im m u n e syste m s th a t d e ve lo p o ve r tim e a s th e y g a in m o re e xp o su re to th e ir e n viro n m e n t. M a n y d o g s a re im m u n ize d a g a in st ce rta in h a rm fu l b a cte ria , p a ra site s a n d viru se s th a t ca n ca u se se rio u s illn e sse s. B u t e xp o su re to ce rta in viru se s m a y ca tch n e w p e t p a re n ts o ff g u a rd w h e n th e ir fu rry frie n d s b e g in to e xh ib it sym p to m s. C a n in e o ra l p a p illo m a viru s is a co n ta g io u s


D N A viru s th a t ca n b e sp re a d a n yw h e re d o g s in te ra ct. It is co m m o n a t d o g p a rk s, d a yca re fa cilitie s, o ve rn ig h t b o a rd in g h o u se s, o r e ve n a m o n g m u ltip le d o g s in a h o u se h o ld . Tra n sm issio n is sp re a d th ro u g h d ire ct co n ta ct


w ith a n in fe cte d d o g o r th ro u g h in d ire ct co n ta ct fro m sh a re d to ys o r co m m u n a l w a te r b o w ls, a d vise s th e p e t h e a lth re so u rce V e tstre e t. O ra l p a p illo m a s, a lso


k n o w n a s o ra l w a rts, a re typ ica lly sm a ll, b e n ig n tu m o rs o f th e m o u th ca u se d b y th e p a p illo m a viru s. Th e y ca n p ro d u ce w h ite o r g ra y ca u liflo w e r-like e ru p tio n s o n th e lip s, g u m s, m o u th , a n d o th e r m u co u s m e m b ra n e s, a d vise s th e P e t H e a lth N e tw o rk . Th e se p a p illo m a s typ ica lly a ffe ct yo u n g d o g s u n d e r th e a g e o f tw o , a s th e y a re m o re su sce p tib le to th e viru s d u e to a n u n d e rd e ve lo p e d im m u n e syste m . Im m u n o co m p ro m ise d d o g s a lso m a y b e a ffe cte d . A re p o rt in Th e C a n a d ia n V e te rin a ry Jo u rn a l


sa ys th e g ro w th s ca n fo rm a fte r a ro u g h ly fo u r- w e e k in cu b a tio n p e rio d . Th e o ra l le sio n s a re u su a lly m ild in m o st ca se s a n d w ill n o t p ro d u ce a n y d isco m fo rt o r co m p lica tio n s. In m o st in sta n ce s, th e p a p illo m a s w ill re so lve th e m se lve s w ith in a o n e - to tw o -m o n th p e rio d .


A ll A b o u t P e ts – 1 1


Tre a tm e n t is n o t n e ce ssa ry fo r o ra l p a p illo m a s u n le ss th e ca se is se ve re a n d is a ffe ctin g th e a n im a l’s a b ility to e a t o r d rin k o r if th e w a rts ca u se a re sp ira to ry o b stru ctio n . Tre a tm e n t a lso m a y b e n e ce ssa ry if th e le sio n s b e co m e in fe cte d . B e ca u se th e viru s o fte n h a s a sh o rt life sp a n w ith n o lo n g -te rm h e a lth


co n se q u e n ce s, m a n y p e o p le d o n o t se e k co n firm a to ry te stin g o f th e p a p illo m a s. V e ts ca n typ ica lly p e rfo rm visu a l e xa m in a tio n s to d e te rm in e if


p a p illo m a s a re th e cu lp rit. It is a g o o d id e a to h a ve a ve t d ia g n o se p a p illo m a s to ru le o u t ca n ce ro u s le sio n s. O n ce a d o g h a s h a d th e p a p illo m a viru s, h e o r


sh e like ly w ill n o t g e t it a g a in , a s im m u n ity is e sta b lish e d a fte r e xp o su re. Th e viru s is sp e cie s- sp e cific, so p e t p a re n ts sh o u ld n o t w o rry a b o u t ca tch in g it fro m slo b b e ry k isse s. H o w e ve r, o w n e rs sh o u ld ke e p in fe cte d d o g s a w a y fro m o th e r ca n in e s fo r a p e rio d o f tim e to p re ve n t sp re a d in g th e viru s. P a p illo m a s te n d to lo o k w o rse th a n th e y


typ ica lly a re, a n d w ill u su a lly re so lve th e m se lve s in d u e tim e.


# 4 0 - 6 A q uit a ni a B l d Wv (C ro s si n g s, W e s t L et h bri d g e) L et h bri d g e, A B T 1 J 5 L 4


w w w .c o ul e e v e c at. i nfo @ c o ul e e v e c at.


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