Mumps is a highly contagious, but easily preventable disease in humans, with less than 20,000 reported US cases per year. Dogs can contract mumps from an infected human, but it is very rare. It is a viral infection causing sialadenitis, or inflammation of the salivary gland. These glands produce saliva that the body uses to break down food and extract the vital glucose during digestion. While painful, mumps infection is not generally dangerous to dogs and a full recovery should be expected.

Mumps, or parotits, causes acute swelling of the parotid salivary gland right below the ear, the jaw or around the eyes. It is communicable from human to dog but is preventable in humans thanks to the MMR vaccine. There is currently no canine vaccine for mumps.

Mumps is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family, which also includes viral pneumonia, measles and rubella in humans and distemper in dogs. Dogs can only contract mumps through contact with an infected human. The virus is transmitted by saliva, coughing and sneezing, and touching items that have been touched by the unwashed hands of an infected person. If someone you come in contact with has the mumps virus, it is best to isolate them from your dog or any unvaccinated people and follow healthy hygiene and hand washing protocols. It can take two to three weeks for the virus to incubate and an infected dog to show symptoms. While the spread of the virus from human-to-dog is rare, it’s best to be safe since there is no canine vaccination for the mumps virus.

If your dog is showing symptoms common to mumps, they should receive a veterinary evaluation immediately, as the lack of appetite and fever can lead to complications from severe dehydration. Your doctor will take a recent history, and you should include any knowledge of the animal having been exposed to someone who has mumps. They will check for fever and signs of dehydration, such as sticky gums and lips and a loss of elasticity in the skin. Vomiting and diarrhea can exacerbate dehydration.

The veterinarian will do a physical exam, using their hands to determine the exact area and extent of the swollen glands. They will take blood to determine white cell count (an indication of infection) and may use a syringe to draw fluid from the infected gland for a full determination of the pathology of the infection. Since sialadenitis can also be caused by rabies or distemper, it’s important to rule out those possibilities when determining treatment.

There is really no treatment for the mumps virus itself; it will run its course in most dogs in five to ten days. Your dog will, however, need treatment and supportive care for the symptoms of the viral infection. If they are dehydrated, your veterinarian may want to give them IV fluids, and possibly prescribe a non-steroidal canine anti-inflammatory like Rimadyl to control fever and inflammation. Should the condition worsen and your dogs’ salivary gland develops and abscess, your doctor may need to perform surgery to drain it. In this case, they will prescribe post-surgery antibiotics to lower the risk of further secondary infection.

While your dog is recovering from mumps, they should be given lots of rest and supportive care. Make sure they have a quiet place to sleep away from the hustle and bustle of the household. You will need to watch them closely to be sure they are eating and drinking. Due to painful swallowing, they may need to be given a diet of soft dog food or even some people foods to entice them to eat. Low sodium chicken broth can be very good for battling dehydration while still getting them some easily digestible nutrients. As they start to feel better, you can add cooked white rice to the broth, and even give them small amounts of cooked, unseasoned baked sweet potato. Once you see the swelling start to go down, and your dog begins to act normal again, you should be able to transition them back to their regular diet.