Viruses and bacteria may seem similar once they have infected your body or the body of your dog, but there are many differences between them, thus differences in the ways they must be treated.
Basic Differences
The most basic difference between bacteria and viruses is that bacteria are considered to be a living organism while viruses are not. There is much debate about this since viruses can reproduce. However, they need a host to survive and reproduce while bacteria can grow and reproduce on a non-living surface.
Thus, bacteria have their own cells, which they use to grow and reproduce. However, viruses invade host cells and use those cells to perform the same activities.
In addition, some bacteria are helpful while a virus is always harmful. For example, all animals have beneficial bacteria in their guts that help them digest food.
Bacteria are much larger than viruses and live in between cells in our bodies while viruses take over the cell and import their genetic material, making the host's own cells harmful.
Virus and Bacteria Transmission Differences
Viruses and bacteria are both passed to another dog in similar ways, such as being transferred through the air or being picked up on a covered surface. However, since bacteria can live anywhere, they are more likely to be picked up without contact from an infected dog.
The biggest difference in transmission is that viruses are usually host-specific. For example, a virus that needs a dog as a host cannot survive in a human and can't be transmitted across species. However, bacteria can survive almost anywhere so can often be more easily passed across species.
Treatment Differences for Bacteria and Viruses
Treatment of bacteria vs virus is usually different because medicine that works on one often will not work on another. Once infected with a virus or bacteria, the body's immune system identifies the invader and begins to fight it. This allows the body to fight the invader naturally as well as build up future resistance.
Antibiotics are usually employed to help the body fight off bacterial infections. However, they will not be effective in fighting off a viral infection unless the virus is being hosted by bacteria. The concern about antibiotics is that bacteria are very resistant and can build up an immunity to antibiotics. Thus, they aren't always effective and may kill helpful bacteria as well.
Dog's usually have to rely on their bodies to fight off infections by viruses, however. There are a few antiviral medications available, but the body has an effective mechanism for fighting off infections—and building up immunity to future infections by that virus.
When a dog gets sick, many owners don't know if it's caused by a virus or bacteria because the symptoms are often very similar. Common dog viral infections include parvovirus and distemper while common bacterial infections include Lyme disease and other tick-born illnesses.