Raccoons are not dogs’ best friends. Although dogs love to chase and sometimes catch them, they can cause major problems to a dog’s health. Check out these common causes from Healthier Pets Today and symptoms of coonhound paralysis, as well as how severe this condition can become.
What is Coonhound Paralysis
Acute canine idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, also known as coonhound paralysis, affects dogs who have come into contact with raccoon saliva. This condition can result in nerves becoming inflamed. It is known to affect all breeds. However, the rottweiler and coonhound are at the highest risk.
Consult your veterinarian if your dog begins to show any of the symptoms listed in this article.
What Symptoms Should I be Aware of
When your dog has been infected with coonhound paralysis, it will produce a number of symptoms. These symptoms often begin to appear around one week after your dog has contracted the disease.
The most common symptoms are:
- Slow reflexes
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of muscle mass
- Weakening muscles
- Losing muscle strength in their face
- Becoming paralysed in their limbs
- Stiff gait
- Pain
- Oversensitivity to pain stimuli
What are the Causes
It is thought that the common cause of coonhound paralysis is when a dog comes into contact with the saliva of a raccoon. However, it has been suggested that there are cases in which viral infections, as well as bacterial infections, could be causes, as well of an autoimmune disease.
The Diagnosis
Before your vet makes a diagnosis, they’ll need a full medical history and an examination of your dog. In addition, they’ll request that you provide them with all the symptoms that your dog is displaying.
Part of the physical examination will consist of routine laboratory tests, including a complete blood count, biochemistry profile and a urine analysis. These tests are likely within normal range. The vet will opt to do more specific tests, including testing to determine abnormalities of electric activity in the peripheral nerves and an analysis of the spinal fluid. This will require a spinal tap to search for any specific infections that could cause the paralysis.
Possible Treatments
Some symptoms may occur rapidly but it is possible for them to worsen over the course of a few days as well as weeks. The paralysis often starts at the back legs and then spreads through the body to the respiratory system. If your dog has difficulty breathing, they might have to spend a few days in hospital until they are completely out of danger.
Your dog could possibly suffer from severe respiratory problems. Your dog will then need the support of a ventilator until its system has recovered. Once they can breathe normally on their own, the ventilator will be removed.
If your dog has been affected, it might have difficulty drinking water. The vet will then choose to administer intravenous fluids in the case that your dog has dehydrated. If the disease has spread too far, your dog might need physiotherapy because of the generalised muscle atrophy.
How to Live and Manage Coonhound Paralysis
To ensure that your dog has a speedy as well as successful recovery, good home nursing is necessary. If your dog has been severely affected, you might need to feed your dog by hand until they can eat by themselves again. Rest is essential for recovery. To ensure that your dog gets their much-needed rest, it is recommended that you set aside a quiet and comfortable space they can relax in within your home! It is important that your dog does not get overexcited, or be bothered by children or other pets. If your dog is very active, consider cage rest as an option to keep them calm.
The resting period could cause pressure sores. To prevent this, turn your dog from side to side every few hours and be sure to check in regularly. Urine and faecal scalding can happen if your dog is not frequently bathed. Consider bathing your dog every second day to prevent this.
While your dog is in recovery, it is important to stay close to home. Only go outside for short times for bathroom breaks. If the paralysis has spread too far for your dog to walk, consult your vet about the possibility of inserting a catheter.
Ask your vet about the physiotherapy treatments. This is important as it will prevent further aggravation of your dog’s already weakened muscles. The gentle stretches on your dog’s limbs will help prevent the muscles from atrophying excessively.
Your dog should visit the veterinary physiotherapist over the course of several months. It is important to keep up to date with these visits to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery. If you have noticed any complications, be sure to inform your vet about your bi-weekly checkups.
The End
Coonhound paralysis affects the owner just as much as it affects the dog. This condition can be dangerous and cause many complications to your dog’s health. Be sure to keep up to date with all necessary appointments to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery.
What is Coonhound Paralysis
Acute canine idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, also known as coonhound paralysis, affects dogs who have come into contact with raccoon saliva. This condition can result in nerves becoming inflamed. It is known to affect all breeds. However, the rottweiler and coonhound are at the highest risk.
Consult your veterinarian if your dog begins to show any of the symptoms listed in this article.
What Symptoms Should I be Aware of
When your dog has been infected with coonhound paralysis, it will produce a number of symptoms. These symptoms often begin to appear around one week after your dog has contracted the disease.
The most common symptoms are:
- Slow reflexes
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of muscle mass
- Weakening muscles
- Losing muscle strength in their face
- Becoming paralysed in their limbs
- Stiff gait
- Pain
- Oversensitivity to pain stimuli
What are the Causes
It is thought that the common cause of coonhound paralysis is when a dog comes into contact with the saliva of a raccoon. However, it has been suggested that there are cases in which viral infections, as well as bacterial infections, could be causes, as well of an autoimmune disease.
The Diagnosis
Before your vet makes a diagnosis, they’ll need a full medical history and an examination of your dog. In addition, they’ll request that you provide them with all the symptoms that your dog is displaying.
Part of the physical examination will consist of routine laboratory tests, including a complete blood count, biochemistry profile and a urine analysis. These tests are likely within normal range. The vet will opt to do more specific tests, including testing to determine abnormalities of electric activity in the peripheral nerves and an analysis of the spinal fluid. This will require a spinal tap to search for any specific infections that could cause the paralysis.
Possible Treatments
Some symptoms may occur rapidly but it is possible for them to worsen over the course of a few days as well as weeks. The paralysis often starts at the back legs and then spreads through the body to the respiratory system. If your dog has difficulty breathing, they might have to spend a few days in hospital until they are completely out of danger.
Your dog could possibly suffer from severe respiratory problems. Your dog will then need the support of a ventilator until its system has recovered. Once they can breathe normally on their own, the ventilator will be removed.
If your dog has been affected, it might have difficulty drinking water. The vet will then choose to administer intravenous fluids in the case that your dog has dehydrated. If the disease has spread too far, your dog might need physiotherapy because of the generalised muscle atrophy.
How to Live and Manage Coonhound Paralysis
To ensure that your dog has a speedy as well as successful recovery, good home nursing is necessary. If your dog has been severely affected, you might need to feed your dog by hand until they can eat by themselves again. Rest is essential for recovery. To ensure that your dog gets their much-needed rest, it is recommended that you set aside a quiet and comfortable space they can relax in within your home! It is important that your dog does not get overexcited, or be bothered by children or other pets. If your dog is very active, consider cage rest as an option to keep them calm.
The resting period could cause pressure sores. To prevent this, turn your dog from side to side every few hours and be sure to check in regularly. Urine and faecal scalding can happen if your dog is not frequently bathed. Consider bathing your dog every second day to prevent this.
While your dog is in recovery, it is important to stay close to home. Only go outside for short times for bathroom breaks. If the paralysis has spread too far for your dog to walk, consult your vet about the possibility of inserting a catheter.
Ask your vet about the physiotherapy treatments. This is important as it will prevent further aggravation of your dog’s already weakened muscles. The gentle stretches on your dog’s limbs will help prevent the muscles from atrophying excessively.
Your dog should visit the veterinary physiotherapist over the course of several months. It is important to keep up to date with these visits to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery. If you have noticed any complications, be sure to inform your vet about your bi-weekly checkups.
The End
Coonhound paralysis affects the owner just as much as it affects the dog. This condition can be dangerous and cause many complications to your dog’s health. Be sure to keep up to date with all necessary appointments to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery.
Raccoons are not dogs’ best friends. Although dogs love to chase and sometimes catch them, they can cause major problems to a dog’s health. Check out these common causes from Healthier Pets Today and symptoms of coonhound paralysis, as well as how severe this condition can become.
What is Coonhound Paralysis
Acute canine idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis, also known as coonhound paralysis, affects dogs who have come into contact with raccoon saliva. This condition can result in nerves becoming inflamed. It is known to affect all breeds. However, the rottweiler and coonhound are at the highest risk.
Consult your veterinarian if your dog begins to show any of the symptoms listed in this article.
What Symptoms Should I be Aware of
When your dog has been infected with coonhound paralysis, it will produce a number of symptoms. These symptoms often begin to appear around one week after your dog has contracted the disease.
The most common symptoms are:
- Slow reflexes
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of muscle mass
- Weakening muscles
- Losing muscle strength in their face
- Becoming paralysed in their limbs
- Stiff gait
- Pain
- Oversensitivity to pain stimuli
What are the Causes
It is thought that the common cause of coonhound paralysis is when a dog comes into contact with the saliva of a raccoon. However, it has been suggested that there are cases in which viral infections, as well as bacterial infections, could be causes, as well of an autoimmune disease.
The Diagnosis
Before your vet makes a diagnosis, they’ll need a full medical history and an examination of your dog. In addition, they’ll request that you provide them with all the symptoms that your dog is displaying.
Part of the physical examination will consist of routine laboratory tests, including a complete blood count, biochemistry profile and a urine analysis. These tests are likely within normal range. The vet will opt to do more specific tests, including testing to determine abnormalities of electric activity in the peripheral nerves and an analysis of the spinal fluid. This will require a spinal tap to search for any specific infections that could cause the paralysis.
Possible Treatments
Some symptoms may occur rapidly but it is possible for them to worsen over the course of a few days as well as weeks. The paralysis often starts at the back legs and then spreads through the body to the respiratory system. If your dog has difficulty breathing, they might have to spend a few days in hospital until they are completely out of danger.
Your dog could possibly suffer from severe respiratory problems. Your dog will then need the support of a ventilator until its system has recovered. Once they can breathe normally on their own, the ventilator will be removed.
If your dog has been affected, it might have difficulty drinking water. The vet will then choose to administer intravenous fluids in the case that your dog has dehydrated. If the disease has spread too far, your dog might need physiotherapy because of the generalised muscle atrophy.
How to Live and Manage Coonhound Paralysis
To ensure that your dog has a speedy as well as successful recovery, good home nursing is necessary. If your dog has been severely affected, you might need to feed your dog by hand until they can eat by themselves again. Rest is essential for recovery. To ensure that your dog gets their much-needed rest, it is recommended that you set aside a quiet and comfortable space they can relax in within your home! It is important that your dog does not get overexcited, or be bothered by children or other pets. If your dog is very active, consider cage rest as an option to keep them calm.
The resting period could cause pressure sores. To prevent this, turn your dog from side to side every few hours and be sure to check in regularly. Urine and faecal scalding can happen if your dog is not frequently bathed. Consider bathing your dog every second day to prevent this.
While your dog is in recovery, it is important to stay close to home. Only go outside for short times for bathroom breaks. If the paralysis has spread too far for your dog to walk, consult your vet about the possibility of inserting a catheter.
Ask your vet about the physiotherapy treatments. This is important as it will prevent further aggravation of your dog’s already weakened muscles. The gentle stretches on your dog’s limbs will help prevent the muscles from atrophying excessively.
Your dog should visit the veterinary physiotherapist over the course of several months. It is important to keep up to date with these visits to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery. If you have noticed any complications, be sure to inform your vet about your bi-weekly checkups.
The End
Coonhound paralysis affects the owner just as much as it affects the dog. This condition can be dangerous and cause many complications to your dog’s health. Be sure to keep up to date with all necessary appointments to ensure that your dog makes a full recovery.
