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Rubarth's hepatitis

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Definition Signs Causes Transmission Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Vaccination Complications When to see a vet Prognosis FAQ Sources Affected species

What is it?

Rubarth's hepatitis is a contagious viral disease of dogs, caused by canine adenovirus type 1. It mainly attacks the liver, but also the kidneys, eyes and the lining of blood vessels. It mainly affects unvaccinated puppies and young dogs, in whom it can be devastating: some animals die within a few hours, even before clear signs appear. It has declined significantly where vaccination is well practiced, but it persists in populations of unvaccinated dogs, particularly stray dogs and unmonitored groups. This is precisely why the vaccine remains essential. It is not transmitted to humans.

Key point

Serious and sometimes devastating illness in unvaccinated puppies: any fever with depression in a young unvaccinated dog must be seen the same day.

Commonly observed signs

These signs are neither exhaustive nor specific. Only a veterinarian can establish a diagnosis.

Related signs — each one links to its page:

Fever Loss of appetite Reduction Vomiting Diarrhea Jaundice Pain Swollen lymph nodes Red eyes Discharge from the eyes Runny nose Pale mucous membranes Nosebleed Seizures

Often high fever, marked depression, refusal to eat.

Vomiting, sometimes bloody diarrhea.

Abdominal pain: the dog complains when his stomach is touched, adopts a praying position, refuses to be carried.

Yellowing of the mucous membranes and the white of the eye in hepatic forms.

Swollen lymph nodes, especially under the throat, and sometimes swelling of the head and neck.

Red, watery eyes, sensitive to light; a bluish opacity of the cornea may appear during the illness or in the days following recovery — this is the sign called “blue eye”. It most often regresses on its own.

A runny nose and eyes, a cough, which may suggest a common respiratory infection.

Bleeding: from the nose, gums, small red spots on the skin, linked to a clotting disorder.

Pale mucous membranes.

In severe forms, convulsions, disorientation or coma.

Some puppies die suddenly, without prior signs.

When to consult without delay

This list does not replace veterinary advice. It gathers situations that justify a prompt consultation.

Causes and risk factors

Infection with canine adenovirus type 1. The virus enters through the mouth or nose, multiplies in the lymph nodes, spreads to the blood and then attaches to the liver, kidneys, eyes and blood vessels.

The destruction of liver cells explains jaundice, coagulation disorders and nervous signs.

Eye lesions come from an immune reaction in the cornea, which explains why they can appear after the acute phase or, rarely, after vaccination with certain old vaccines.

The virus is resistant: it survives for a long time in the external environment and is not destroyed by all common disinfectants.

The absence of vaccination: this is the determining factor.

Young age: puppies and dogs under one year old are the most affected and have the most serious forms.

The loss of immunity transmitted by the mother, around weaning, a period during which the puppy is no longer protected if it has not yet been vaccinated.

Living in a community or in contact with dogs of unknown vaccination status.

Stray dogs or dogs recently rescued from the street, before any vaccination.

A contaminated environment poorly disinfected, the virus being resistant.

A weakened general condition, significant parasitosis, malnutrition.

Transmission

The virus is excreted through the urine, feces and saliva of infected dogs.

Contamination occurs through direct contact between dogs, through licking, or indirectly through contaminated bowls, toys, cages, floors, shoes, clothing and hands.

Urine is the most important source: a cured dog can continue to excrete the virus in its urine for several months and contaminate its environment without appearing ill.

Places of concentration – shelters, kennels, boarding houses, animal markets, areas frequented by stray dogs – are most at risk.

Foxes and other wild carnivores can harbor the virus.

There is no transmission to humans.

Diagnosis and care

Diagnosis is the veterinarian's responsibility, based on clinical examination and laboratory tests. Care is decided case by case.

There is no medication that destroys the virus: treatment is intensive support for the dog while its body fights the infection.

The veterinarian mentions the disease when faced with an unvaccinated puppy, feverish, depressed, with abdominal pain or jaundice.

Blood tests show liver damage, a drop in white blood cells and clotting disorders.

An ultrasound of the abdomen evaluates the liver and looks for fluid.

Confirmation is based on the search for the virus in the samples using specialized laboratory tests.

Affected dogs must be isolated from other dogs, and the equipment must be disinfected with a product effective against resistant viruses; Diluted bleach, properly used on previously cleaned surfaces, is one of the solutions.

Serious animals are hospitalized.

Treatment

Treatment is only symptomatic and supportive: there is no specific antiviral in current practice.

Perfusion is essential to correct dehydration, support circulation and protect organs.

Treatments limit vomiting, protect the digestive tract and support the liver.

A transfusion or the provision of clotting factors may be necessary in the event of bleeding.

Antibiotics are only used to prevent or treat superimposed bacterial infections, not against the virus itself.

Eye lesions are treated locally by the veterinarian to relieve pain.

A suitable diet, low in elements difficult to metabolize by a diseased liver, is gradually implemented.

Treatments and molecules are chosen and dosed by the veterinarian: in a dog with an affected liver, many common medications become dangerous. Never administer human medication or leftover prescriptions.

Treatment depends on the cause and the animal's condition: it must be determined by a veterinarian. No self-medication.

Prevention

Vaccination is the most effective means of prevention, and it is very reliable.

Avoid any contact between an unprotected puppy and dogs of unknown status, places frequented by stray dogs or soiled floors.

Isolate any sick dog and any newly rescued dog for the duration of a veterinary check-up.

Carefully disinfect the premises, bowls and cages, with a product active on resistant viruses and after prior cleaning.

Wash hands and change clothes after handling a sick dog.

In shelters and farms, apply a strict entry protocol: quarantine, vaccination, disinfection.

Do not forget that a cured dog remains contagious through urine for several months.

Vaccination

The Rubarth's hepatitis vaccine is one of the essential vaccines recommended for all dogs everywhere. It is a live attenuated vaccine using canine adenovirus type 2, which protects against the type 1 that causes the disease while avoiding the eye reactions previously seen with type 1-based vaccines. This same vaccine also helps protect against one of the causes of kennel cough. It is almost always administered in a combined puppy vaccine, associated with distemper and parvovirus, often supplemented depending on the case by leptospirosis, kennel cough and rabies. The protocol involves a series of injections in the puppy, to be repeated at regular intervals until an age where maternal immunity no longer hinders the vaccination response, then a booster in the following year, and then spaced boosters. The exact schedule, starting age and spacing of boosters are set by your veterinarian based on the puppy's age, lifestyle and available vaccines. A puppy is only properly protected after the end of the primary vaccination series: do not expose it to risky places before then. An adult dog of unknown status, particularly a dog taken in from the street, must be vaccinated after veterinary examination.

Possible complications

Acute liver failure, which can lead to death within a few hours in puppies.

Serious coagulation disorders, with hemorrhages.

Nervous signs — disorientation, convulsions, coma — linked to liver damage.

Kidney damage, sometimes with persistent renal failure.

“Blue eye”: opacity of the cornea, generally transient, but which can progress to lasting ocular damage, or even glaucoma, in a minority of cases.

Chronic hepatitis in some dogs that survive.

Prolonged excretion of the virus in the urine after recovery, maintaining contamination of the environment.

When to see a veterinarian

Your unvaccinated puppy or young dog is depressed, feverish and refuses to eat: consult the same day.

He vomits, has diarrhea, especially if it contains blood.

His stomach is painful, he complains when touched or remains hunched over.

His mucous membranes or the whites of his eyes turn yellow.

He bleeds from the nose or gums, or has small red spots on the skin.

His eyes become red, watery or take on a bluish appearance.

He convulses, staggers or loses consciousness: immediate emergency.

He has been in contact with a sick dog or has just been picked up from the street: have him examined before any contact with your other dogs.

Prognosis

The prognosis is very variable and depends on age, form and speed of care.

Peracute forms in unvaccinated puppies are often fatal, sometimes in less than a day.

Moderate forms, treated early with intensive support, recover in a good proportion of cases; convalescence takes several weeks.

Eye lesions most often resolve spontaneously.

A minority of dogs have chronic liver or kidney damage.

The cured dog develops lasting immunity, but remains contagious through its urine for several months.

The main thing to remember: this serious disease is largely preventable through correctly carried out vaccination.

Frequently asked questions

Is this disease dangerous for me or my children?

No. Canine adenovirus type 1 does not infect humans. On the other hand, it is transmitted very easily between dogs, including through hands and clothing: wash your hands after handling a sick dog before approaching another.

My dog is vaccinated, can he still get it?

The vaccine is very effective and is one of the essential vaccines recommended for all dogs. The risk becomes very low in a dog that is correctly vaccinated and up to date with its boosters. Cases mainly occur in dogs that have not been vaccinated or whose primary vaccination has not been completed.

What is “blue eye”?

It is a bluish opacity of the cornea, due to an immune reaction, which can appear during the illness or in the days following recovery. It most often resolves on its own within a few weeks. It should always be shown to the veterinarian, because a painful eye requires local treatment and monitoring.

I have just taken in a street dog: what should I do?

Have him examined by a veterinarian before contact with your other animals, and keep him isolated until then. The assessment will allow vaccination, antiparasitic treatment to be implemented and its general condition to be checked. An apparently healthy dog may shed the virus in its urine.

How to disinfect after a case in the house?

The virus is resistant in the external environment. Surfaces and equipment must first be cleaned mechanically, then an active disinfectant must be applied to resistant viruses, for example properly diluted bleach, respecting the contact time. Wash textiles at high temperatures and ask your veterinarian for advice before bringing in a new dog.