Aspectos epidemiológicos, clínicos e patológicos da cinomose canina.

Abstract

Epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of canine distemper. Canine distemper is one of the most prevalent diseases in small animal clinic. A retrospective study was performed in search of distemper cases diagnosed in the period 2003 to 2009 in Animal Pathology Laboratory (LPA)/ Veterinary Hospital (HV) / UFCG. In 467 dogs autopsied, 50 (10,7%) were diagnosed through microscopic lesions. They were considered only those cases that had body inclusions in the brain and / or tissues. The disease occurred mainly in young puppy from Patos-PB city, most often between the months of April and July. There are multiple types of clinical signs and lesions in various organs. The main clinical signs were myoclonus, anorexia, ocular and nasal discharge, convulsions, diarrhea, tremors and weakness. There was in the brain, demyelinating nonsuppurative encephalitis, malacia and intracytoplasmic and/or intranuclear body inclusions in glial cells and neurons. Degenerative lesions and viral inclusions were also observed in the epithelium of the stomach, bladder gall, kidneys, lungs and cushions. Secondary opportunistic infections were observed as cerebral toxoplasmosis and bacterial pneumonia. It is concluded that distemper is a common disease in the routine of Animal Pathology Lab, being among the leading causes of death in dogs, associated with failure to vaccinate. The disease can occur without neurological damage, the myoclonus may be absent and make diff the clinical diagnosis. Although a vaccine is the only prophylactic measure against the disease, is still overlooked by dog owners in the region.