Introduction
I am going to produce information leaflets regarding a rabbit with myxomatosis which is a viral disease, a leopard gecko with metabolic bone disease which is a metabolic disease and a dog with leptospirosis which is a bacterial disease.
I will also be describing these diseases, illustrating the symptoms, how to prevent these diseases if possible and explain the treatments for these diseases.
Contents Page:
Page One: Viral Disease Rabbit Myxomatosis
Page Two: Leopard Gecko Metabolic Bone Disease
Page Three: Bacterial Disease Dog Leptospirosis
An example of a rabbit with myxomatosis: Image Reference: 300 x 224-worcestervets.co.uk
Viral Disease Rabbit Myxomatosis
What is myxomatosis and what are the causes of it?
Myxomatosis is caused by the myxoma virus which is a pox like virus. Wild and domesticated rabbits can both contract this disease. It is common in rabbits. It is important to keep healthy rabbits and rabbits with the disease apart as this is a virus and viruses can reproduce and spread very quickly to other animals
There are three different forms of Myxomatosis:
Peracute form: This is the form that spreads quickly and the form that can cause death within seven days or possibly even 48 hours, the form that is mostly talked about under “Symptoms of Myxomatosis”. “Peracute” means very severe and very short duration and proving quickly fatal.
Acute Form: Can cause the rabbit to have swelling and seizures and they can also lose their sight.
Chronic Form: Chronic myxomatosis results from surviving acute myxomatosis. Rabbits that suffer from this chronic form of myxomatosis can only recover on their own. This is also known as “Nodular Myxomatosis”. Obviously “Chronic” means that it is likely to get worse over time. Chronic means “Persisting for a Long Time or Constantly Recurring”. Unvaccinated rabbits are very unlikely to survive this form of myxomatosis.
Symptoms of Myxomatosis
There are several different symptoms to myxomatosis, it may affect the rabbit extremely suddenly and therefore the rabbit has bloodshot eyes caused by conjunctivitis or possibly develop a high fever (dangerously high being over 103 Fahrenheit.), rabbits may also lose their appetites and become lethargic and it is actually possible that they can die within 48 hours, this disease can be lethal. The illness may last longer than 48 hours and if untreated the symptoms will become even worse, such as: Their faces will become swollen, thick discharge will secrete from their noses and because thick discharge is developing inside their noses, rabbits can only breathe through their noses so therefore may die due to respiratory issues, most rabbits die within two weeks of diagnosis of myxomatosis or at least the first onset symptoms. In chronic cases, lumps and bumps will develop on their body, this form of myxomatosis is easier to survive from and is seen more often in wild rabbits than domestic ones, however, this form of myxomatosis is far less common.
How to Prevent Myxomatosis
There is not much prevention when it comes to myxomatosis, however, you can keep an eye on your rabbit for fleas can bites. You can keep your rabbit inside within urban areas as that is a method of prevention.
Treating Myxomatosis
There are no effective treatments for myxomatosis, apart from gentle treatment to prevent secondary’s such as typical antibiotics and fluids, dependent on the speed of the disease, if it is a slow development of the disease, it may be well cared for and it is possible for a recovery and intensive care.
Myxomatosis is an extremely cruel disease and because it is viral and it can spread around their bodies it can make symptoms even worse and the rabbits are likely to suffer a long and painful death, so euthanasia is often the most recommended remedy as euthanasia will prevent any further suffering because it is very hard to treat and an extremely cruel disease so sometimes prompted death (Euthanasia) is kinder and better than any form of treatment.
There are antibiotics for secondary infections. Rabbits hospitalized will be put on a drip and receive antibiotics.
Leopard Gecko Metabolic Bone Disease
What is Metabolic Bone Disease and what are the Causes It?
It is a well-recognized and very common disease in reptiles. Metabolic bone disease can be in these forms: fibrous osteodystrophy, osteomalacia, hyperthyroidism, osteoporosis and rickets, as you can see there is a lot of the word “Osteo” which means “Relating to The Bones”. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2:1, however when calcium levels are low, the body compensates by taking calcium from wherever it can, obviously in this case the bones. This obviously means that there is either too much calcium or too much phosphorus (improper ratio) in the diet or possibly a deficiency of vitamin D It is important to be very delicate when holding or carrying leopard geckos with this disease as heavy handed people could seriously hurt them causing them pain and you also have to be very careful around the tail area.
Symptoms of Metabolic Bone Disease
Leopard Geckos or any other reptiles may find it hard to walk and have bowed legs and may have a limp. You will find that the leopard gecko will not eat as much and will not be very mobile. They may also have an inability to climb or walk. Definite signs of metabolic bone diseases are constipation and weight loss. Your leopard gecko may become very weak and symptoms of paralysis may occur.
How to Prevent Metabolic Bone Disease
Preventing metabolic bone disease is easy to prevent, It is mostly just lifestyle changes,
to prevent metabolic bone disease you can:
Make sure the temperature is 89-90 degrees Fahrenheit
Don’t use sand or woodchips
Make sure fresh water and a dish of calcium powder is available to the leopard geckos
Use a heat mat instead of lighting
Always provide crickets, mealworms and roaches.
Make sure the tank is around 2 foot
Treating Metabolic Bone Disease
Treating the leopard gecko for metabolic bone disease usually involves putting the leopard gecko under quarantine and under the quarantine they are usually provided with extremely humid temperatures and the correct UVB lighting and because leopard geckos are smaller reptiles, they are usually given lukewarm baths, larger lizards are put on a drip. Fractured bone s are usually dressed with a cast and supportive dressings. Leopard geckos will also be injected with isotonic calcium solution by their vets daily. Very weak reptiles may need to be tube fed a liquid diet for a month until they are strong enough to eat themselves, in extreme cases, euthanasia may be recommended because the symptoms will last a life time and may cause the leopard gecko pain or discomfort.
An Example of a leopard gecko with metabolic bone disease. Image Reference: 384 x 288- thegeckospot.net
Leptospirosis in Dogs
What is Leptospirosis and What Causes It? An example of a dog getting vaccinated against leptospirosis Image Reference: 847 x 567-newhealthadvisor.com
Leptospirosis is caused by the bacteria called Leptospira. Canine leptospirosis is caused when a dog with a cut, open wound or scrape comes into contact with infected urine. This infected urine could be in soil or water. The urine could also be in food that they may eat from the ground or from their bedding if there are infected dogs that live with them that have urinated on their bedding, or if the owner also owns rodents and they are infected. Dogs can also catch leptospirosis from being bitten by an infected animal.
Symptoms of Leptospirosis
Fever
Muscle pain
vomiting
diarrhoea
appetite loss
lethargy
extreme cases
Blood in the urine or their stools
Haemorrhage from the mouth
Respiratory distress
Pulmonary haemorrhage
In mild forms of leptospirosis, dogs may be asymptomatic.
How to Prevent Leptospirosis
Preventing leptospirosis is self-explanatory. Keep your dog/dogs away from mud and muddy puddles and try and keep them on concrete surfaces and grass that you can be sure is clean for instance maybe your garden or a friend or family members’ garden with a healthy pet/pets and try and segregate the healthy animals from the animals with leptospirosis and for humans just always make sure you are wearing PPE such as: Goggles, gloves, if you are not wearing gloves don’t put your fingers near your mouth and make sure you always wash your hands before and after activity with a dog or any mammal to avoid cross-contamination, hand washing is the most essential prevention for humans. There is a vaccine for leptospirosis however some vets recommend it more than other vets do. Preventing leptospirosis largely involves constantly keeping an eye on your dog. For example: Don’t let them drink from puddles of water in parks or on the street, also don’t let them swim in lakes or ponds as there is an extremely high chance that that water has been urinated in by an infected dog. Humans can also catch this disease so regular hand washing is essential to avoid cross contamination from the dog to the human.
Treatment for Leptospirosis
The treatment for this would be antibiotics and fluid if the dog gets hospitalized, however, every dog that shows signs of leptospirosis needs to go to their local vet immediately as untreated dogs may become carriers, and it can last in their urine for up to a year. Dogs with a severe case of leptospirosis need to be hospitalized. Fluid therapy is the main treatment, to make sure that the dog isn’t dehydrated. If vomiting occurs, the dog may be given an antiemetic drug which is an anti-vomiting drug. Dogs may be given gastric tubes to help with their digestion if the dog has lost its appetite or is struggling to keep food down. In extremely severe cases where haemorrhaging has occurred, a blood transfusion may be needed.
The type of antibiotic given to the dog will be dependent on the severity of the disease. These antibiotics will have a minimum of a four-week course. Antibiotics will have side effects; the different antibiotics will have different side effects and the stronger the antibiotic the stronger the side effects will be. The side effects will be written on the prescription for the antibiotics.
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