On this page we will discuss pseudorabies in dogs, also known as Aujeszky’s disease.
This is a little-known disease, partly because dogs living in urban areas or cities rarely come into contact with it.
It is a disease caused by a virus, specifically an Herpesvirus, similar to the one that appears on our lips but with much, much more serious consequences: if contracted by a dog, it can lead to death within a couple of days and, moreover, there is no cure.
What it is and how it is transmitted
Aujeszky’s virus, or Suine Herpes Virus, is a virus that primarily affects pigs (and wild boar, since they are animals of the same species, Sus scrofa); it causes diseases such as abortion in these animals, which are also the only ones capable of transmitting the infection: the virus can pass from pig to dog, but not from dog to dog or from dog to pig.
Why do we discuss this disease when it seems to affect only pigs? Because dogs and other animals (but not humans), defined as “accidental hosts” of the disease, can contract it in a very severe form: pseudorabies, which, as we will see, is very similar to the dangerous rabies, although the virus that causes it is different.
The virus is not very resistant in the external environment, so the only way it can be transmitted is through direct contact with a pig, generally by a bite (females) or tusk wound (male), or through very close airborne contact with a pig, for example if we take the dog to visit a farm.
What it does
In dogs, the symptoms are neurological, because the virus is mainly located in the nervous system.
The signs are fairly characteristic: even if we did not see the wild boar that physically attacked our dog, the dog returns injured. Even if we treat the wound or take the dog to a veterinarian for suturing, we will notice that within a few days the dog will begin to scratch intensely at that spot. The itching is so severe that the dog will even begin to tear the skin off the area, inflicting very deep wounds on itself.
There is no aggression typical of rabies, but this strong tendency toward self-harm led to the unfortunate name of the disease.
Furthermore, as the days pass, the virus will spread throughout the body, causing neurological symptoms that begin with profuse salivation (another similarity to rabies) and gradually progress to paralysis of the limbs and eventually respiratory paralysis.
As of today, the disease has no cure, is very serious, and there is no vaccine for dogs capable of preventing it; the only thing we can do is avoid it as much as possible.
How to prevent it
Since this is a disease transmitted by pigs, it will be very difficult for our dog to contract it unless we come into contact with these animals.
We are unlikely to visit a farm with the dog, and this already greatly limits the risk. In addition, the health authorities keep the disease situation under close control, requiring farmers to report cases and closely monitoring farms where the disease is present.
The situation is different for wild pigs, or wild boar: these animals are very numerous in Italian forests and can be controlled only to a limited extent, so they risk spreading the disease practically everywhere.
Hunting dogs are obviously at greater risk than other dogs, but if you also take your friend for a walk in the woods, always keep the dog on a leash: sometimes, for fun, dogs tease wild boar, which, seeing the dog as a threat, defend themselves as best they can by biting or goring, thus creating the risk of disease.
Finally, many owners are afraid of pork/wild boar meat. In this case you can rest assured: the virus dies (if it does not go directly into the bloodstream) at 37º, so even if the dog ate raw meat, it would not risk this disease. However, raw pork is dangerous for other reasons, so it is always better to cook the meat (this applies to us too!) before eating it.