Are you one of the pet owners confused with your pet’s possible diseases, so you repeatedly ask yourself, “is lepto the same as distemper”? If that is the case, you need to identify their background, causes, and possible treatments to distinguish their differences.
Lepto or Leptospirosis and Distemper are both infections that may harm your pets. Today, vaccines for Leptospirosis and Distemper are included in the list of preventive medications your pet needs. This guarantees that your furry friend will be safe from any possible danger.
However, there are circumstances where pets cannot avoid attaining these kinds of diseases. As a pet owner, you should know how to deal with it and what to do if this happens. With this, continue reading this article to be aware of the differences between Leptospirosis and Distemper.
What Is Leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis, often called Lepto, is a bacterial and infectious disease that can affect dogs and other mammals and is sometimes transmitted to humans. This disease affects the kidney or liver of the animal, making it too dangerous for them.
It is mainly encountered in rural, damp, and wooded areas. If you wonder how your pets became infected, they might have been exposed to a carrier or someone who had the disease.
Another reason for transmission is when contamination occurs — whether it’s contaminated garbage or water. When your pet is exposed to these, their skin might get infected, resulting in transmission.
Symptoms
There are symptoms you should be aware of to determine if your pets are already diagnosed with Leptospirosis. If these happen, take immediate action by bringing your pets to the nearest clinic:
- Sudden fever
- Sore and stiff muscles
- Weight/appetite loss
- Dehydration
- Vomiting with blood
- Diarrhea (with blood in worse cases)
- Anemic symptoms such as having yellow skin and white eyes
- Fast breathing, difficulty breathing, and irregular pulse
Treatments
Identifying the treatments for a pet experiencing Leptospirosis will help an owner to save them. Below are some of the treatments you can consider when this situation happens.
- Pets diagnosed with this should go to their trusted veterinarians for frequent check-ups and consultation.
- You can consider giving your pet antibiotics as it is helpful and effective in some early stages of Leptospirosis. However, please remember that your pets can only take antibiotics if the veterinarian prescribes them.
- If the case is not considered an early stage, consider bringing your pets to a veterinary hospital because they will need intensive care and attention.
- A pet owner can also consider giving pets doxycycline as long as the veterinarian prescribes it. This might help your pet’s recovery, guaranteeing that the bacteria are already cleared, making them not a carrier.
What is Distemper?
Distemper is a contagious disease that dogs can acquire. The disease damages your pet’s internal organs, disrupting the respiratory, nervous, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems.
Unlike Leptospirosis, Distemper cannot be transmitted to humans. However, it can still be passed and spread directly to other pets through coughing and sneezing.
The virus is very likely to be transmitted from one animal to another if it releases droplets on a surface while coughing, sneezing, or barking.
Symptoms
Like other diseases, Distemper also gives signs to pet owners so they can be aware of their pets’ condition:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Coughing and sneezing
- Seizures
- Neurological disturbances (odd behavior)
- Thick, yellow discharge from the nose and eyes
Treatments
Distemper does not have a direct cure, but you can treat the signs and symptoms you are encountering with your furry friend. Listed below are some tips you might consider to save your pet:
- Pets should remain under observation of a trusted vet so they can receive intensive care.
- Consider having an intravenous fluid therapy that might help the pet’s cough, vomiting, and diarrhea.
- If needed, they can also undergo anti-seizure medications. Remember that this is recommended, unlike taking antibiotics.
Conclusion
The question, “is lepto the same as distemper” may be difficult to answer alone because of their confusing symptoms. Identifying the background, causes, symptoms, and treatments of each disease is the only way for you to answer the question. Each condition has its unique traits, and as a pet owner, you should take responsibility in learning all of these.
If you’re curious to know more about animals’ diseases, Doobert will gladly accept you as a volunteer! The team is constantly looking for people to help the team out and adopt an animal in need. You can check out their website to know more about the details.
