Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is transmitted from humans to animals. The dog can be infected by humans but also by other infected animals (unpasteurized milk, offal such as lungs of infected cattle).

Symptoms in dogs vary greatly depending on where the bacterium is located and goes from the chest to the abdomen to the skin. In the case of pulmonary localization the dog has frequent cough, nasal discharge with purulent mucus.

Tuberculosis in dogs usually becomes chronic with deterioration of the general conditions. In dogs suffering from TB , the disease was fatal in a few months.

The specific therapy is quite difficult and complex and the risk that tuberculosis can be transmitted to humans , suggests euthanasia of the infected animal.

Given that the risk of contracting the disease in Italy is very low, prevention can be implemented by avoiding feeding the dog with milk and offal of unsecured origin.