The contagious dog disease, infectious canine hepatitis, can also infect some wildlife carnivores such as coyotes, bears, and foxes. Vaccinations are available for infectious canine hepatitis. Puppies under the age of one are most susceptible to infectious canine hepatitis.

Infectious canine hepatitis is one of the dog diseases that can be prevented with a vaccination. The vaccination for infectious canine hepatitis should not be given until the puppy is nine to twelve weeks old. Though puppies are at the greatest risk, dogs of any age can contract this disease if they have not been vaccinated.The virus that causes infectious canine hepatitis is spread through contact with an infected dog or contaminated body fluids such as nasal discharge, saliva, and urine. Items such as food dishes and cages can also become contaminated.Sore throat, fever, and coughing are typically the first symptoms of infectious canine hepatitis. The virus may then start affecting the dog’s eyes, kidneys, and liver. Infectious canine hepatitis often causes a low white blood cell count.A dog that has acquired a hepatitis infection may develop a bluish tint to its corneas. The eyes may appear cloudy and may become sensitive to light. Dogs may experience vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, and seizures.Infectious canine hepatitis can cause bleeding problems. The dog may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums. Some dogs with this disease develop swelling of the head, neck, and trunk and hematomas which are collections of blood under the skin.Typical veterinary care for dogs infected with infectious canine hepatitis includes an antibiotics and intravenous fluids as supportive care. There is no medication to specifically treat infectious canine hepatitis. Dogs may need blood transfusions as part of treatment for severe cases.Infectious canine hepatitis is a potentially fatal dog disease. A dog may die as quickly as two hours after the first symptoms. Young puppies are most likely to die from infectious canine hepatitis.The urine of a dog that was treated for infectious canine hepatitis can still be contaminated and spread the disease for up to nine months even if the dog has fully recovered. Humans are not in danger of contracting hepatitis from dogs. The hepatitis that can infect humans is not the same as infectious canine hepatitis.