Most pet owners are familiar with toxoplasmosis in connection with cats: At the latest when a cat owner becomes pregnant, she deals with the disease. But the parasite can also infect dogs as intermediate hosts. Here you will find the most important information about toxoplasmosis in dogs.
How can a dog get infected with toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is a unicellular parasite called “Toxoplasma gondii”. Its main host is the cat, which can become infected through mice that carry the pathogen. The cat then sheds oocysts for a week or two. This is an early stage of development of the parasite, comparable to “eggs”. Dogs can therefore become infected with toxoplasmosis when they come into contact with cat feces.
But raw meat, especially from sheep and pigs, as well as mice eaten in the garden can also carry the pathogen. The incubation period is two to four weeks.
Toxoplasmosis in the dog: symptoms and diagnosis
Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in dogs vary widely. Therefore, the suspicion of the disease rarely arises. However, as with humans:
Healthy individuals with strong immune systems usually do not show symptoms of the disease.
Puppies or weakened animals are more at risk of showing signs of illness. Possible symptoms of toxoplasmosis in dogs include:
- Loss of appetite
- Fever flare-ups
- stomach pain
- difficult breathing
- Inflammation of the eyes
- swollen lymph nodes
- rare: neurological disorders such as paralysis or convulsions
The infection can be fatal in weakened or very young animals. If toxoplasmosis is suspected, the vet can detect the parasites using antibodies in the dog’s blood.
Toxoplasmosis Therapy
If the vet diagnoses toxoplasmosis in a dog with symptoms, he will prescribe antibiotics. A clear diagnosis can only be made by comparing two blood samples. These document an increase in antibodies. Antibiotics kill the parasites reliably. If the worst comes to the worst, be sure to follow the veterinarian’s instructions exactly. If the dog suffers from symptoms, the veterinarian will treat them as well. If the dog shows no signs of toxoplasmosis and this is an incidental finding, therapy is not always necessary. Within a few weeks, the body of a healthy dog successfully defends itself against the intruders.
Can dogs infect people with toxoplasmosis?
Although dogs can become infected as intermediate hosts, they cannot infect humans with toxoplasmosis. The risk of infection for people – for example for pregnant women or small children – lurks above all in raw meat. Cats, on the other hand, can transmit toxoplasmosis to humans through their feces. Therefore, pregnant women who have not yet been infected with toxoplasmosis should only clean litter boxes with gloves or leave this to others. Gloves also offer protection when gardening. Because if pregnant women suffer an initial infection, this can damage the unborn child. There is no danger for dog owners as dogs do not excrete oocysts in their feces. Many people go through an infection in their lifetime without even realizing it. Almost 80 percent of 80-year-olds have had toxoplasmosis, which antibodies show in the blood.
By the way: people and dogs that have already been infected will not be infected again.
Prevent toxoplasmosis in dogs
It is not possible to protect the dog one hundred percent from the parasites. Because he can be infected by drinking from puddles. The oocytes can survive outdoors for around a year under favorable conditions. A captured and eaten mouse also carries a risk of toxoplasmosis. The parasites can also be present in raw meat. Anyone who barges exposes their dogs to a higher risk of toxoplasmosis. The risk is particularly high when feeding raw pork and sheep meat. However, freezing to -18 degrees kills the parasites as well as heating above 70 degrees. In any case, if you have fit, healthy dogs, you do not expose them to any great risk with a possible toxoplasmosis infection.
