Coronavirus is a disease that affects dogs of different age categories, but puppies are the most affected.

Coronavirus is widespread among canine populations everywhere in the world, much like parvovirus, but is less deadly than parvovirus.

The clinical signs of coronavirus range from very mild and even inconspicuous symptoms to very serious symptoms, the main manifestation of which is vomiting and diarrhea.

Dogs with coronavirus generally do not experience fever. The fecal matter of a diseased dog vary in appearance and color and can be yellowish-orange, reddish, or snotty. Inconsistency can be mushy but completely watery, as well as with a lot of mucus.

The veterinarian may suspect that it is a coronavirus in all dogs with acute diarrhea and vomiting, especially if multiple dogs are affected at the same time.

The vaccine status of dogs, as well as some of the accompanying clinical manifestations, also provide important information.

Coronavirus has some features:

– rarely fever occurs initially,

– seldom does leukopenia (a decrease in the number of white blood cells in the blood) occur, which is one of the symptoms of parvovirus infection,

– Rarely there is more blood in the vomit and in the stool, which is common in parvoviruses.

However, very often there is a mixed infection of the dog with both parvo and coronavirus, according to US authors in as many as 25% of cases. The mixed infection produces very severe clinical symptoms and is most often fatal to a diseased dog.

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Laboratory examinations are required to make the correct diagnosis, and some time is needed to perform them, so appropriate therapy should only be started when coronavirus is suspected.

Fortunately, coronavirus is usually not fatal and requires only suppurative therapy, so lab diagnosis is not necessary for successful therapy.

How to treat Coronavirus in dogs

Coronavirus therapy is primarily based on fluid replacement through infusion solutions, as well as therapy with diarrhea-blocking agents.

Most diseased dogs recover quickly with appropriate therapy. Coronavirus deaths are rare but possible, especially in puppies.

Canine vaccination as a preventative measure against coronavirus.

However, since multiple coronavirus strains are believed to be present, and because coronavirus is not usually lethal, vaccination is recommended for those dogs that are exposed to other dogs, for example, dogs residing in kennels or doghouses, or dogs are often performed at dog shows.

What about a rotavirus

Rotavirus infections in young children, especially babies, are one of the most common causes of diarrhea and can be fatal.

In dogs, rotavirus-induced diarrhea is far less dangerous and is usually self-limiting. Most often infants are infected.

The main symptom of the disease is diarrhea, which can be watery or mucous. Diarrhea usually lasts for a short time and goes away without any consequences for the puppies’ health and progression.

Puppies have also been reported to have died of rotavirus infection, but they are extremely rare and are usually associated with poor puppy feeding and care conditions.

Most adult dogs carry antibodies against rotavirus infection because they came into contact with the virus during their lifetime, but the disease went without symptoms or the symptoms were very mild.

This is why most puppies are protected from rotavirus infection through passive immunity (mother-to-child immunity).

The treatment of rotavirus infections is the same as the treatment of all other acute diarrhea, meaning the diseased dog is compensated for lost fluid and strictly observed the diet and type of foods used in the diet of the diseased dog.

Most diseased dogs recover very quickly.

There is still no vaccine for rotavirus infection in dogs, and the question is whether it is necessary to vaccinate dogs for this disease at all.