Pregnant mothers may also transmit distemper to their unborn puppies. Any breed of dog is susceptible to serious disease caused by distemper. Besides dogs, CDV infection is possible in a wide range of wild animals including, racoons, coyotes and foxes, so contact with wildlife is another possible way dogs may become infected.
The distemper virus initially infects the respiratory tract and eyes and then will move to the digestive system. In many cases, dogs can build an immune response to halt progression at this stage. However, in some cases, the virus will begin to attack the nervous system, which often leads to death.
Within a few days of developing initial symptoms, most dogs will then start to show symptoms of gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. Once a dog starts to have generalized seizures from distemper, it is often not controllable with seizure medication and the dog will need to be euthanized to relieve suffering.
The best method of diagnosing distemper in dogs is with a PCR test performed by your veterinarian. Samples for this test are taken by swabbing the eyes, nostrils, and throat.
This can be a test specifically for distemper if your veterinarian is highly suspicious of this infection, or it may be part of a respiratory PCR panel, which will test for a variety of bacteria and viruses that cause abnormal respiratory symptoms.
If your dog has already received one or more distemper vaccines, it is important for your veterinarian to perform a quantitative PCR test, which will help to distinguish between a recent vaccination and a true infection with CDV. There is no specific treatment or cure for distemper and veterinary care is aimed at controlling the symptoms and preventing secondary bacterial infections. Wild animals like raccoons, foxes, wolves, coyotes, skunks, ferrets, and mink can also get distemper.
This means that an outbreak of distemper in the local wildlife population can put dogs at risk for catching the disease even if they do not come into contact with other dogs. Bitches can also spread the virus through the placenta to their puppies, which is one of the reasons why it is important to fully vaccinate any dog you plan to breed.
Learn more about responsible breeding practices here. Distemper dogs experience a wide range of symptoms depending on how advanced the disease is in their bodies. This results in two stages of symptoms. The first symptom of distemper in dogs is usually watery to pus-like discharge from his eyes, followed by fever , loss of appetite, and clear nasal discharge.
Most dogs develop a fever approximately 3-to-6 days after being infected, but the initial symptoms depend on the severity of the case and how the patient reacts to it. In general, the symptoms associated with distemper in dogs during the first stages of infection are:.
Secondary bacterial infections can cause respiratory and GI symptoms, including:. Some dogs develop neurological signs as the disease progresses and attacks the central nervous system. These signs are particularly disturbing for owners.
Distemper in dogs presents with some or all of these symptoms, depending on the severity of the case. Distemper is a risk to all dogs, but unvaccinated dogs and puppies under four months old are particularly susceptible to canine distemper. A variety of laboratory tests can help confirm the diagnosis and some may be done to rule out other infections. There is no cure for the distemper virus, so treatment involves managing the various symptoms and secondary infections.
Even with treatment, distemper can be fatal. Treatment depends on the symptoms shown and may include fluids to combat dehydration, medication to reduce vomiting, antibiotics and other medications to treat pneumonia, antibiotics for secondary infections, and anticonvulsants to treat seizures.
Neurological symptoms may get progressively worse and not respond to treatment, and even with recovery, some neurological effects may persist.
Vaccination is effective at preventing distemper. Puppies are typically vaccinated starting at six weeks of age and regular intervals until they are 14 to 16 weeks old as with other vaccines, the presence of antibodies received from the mother can interfere with vaccines so a puppy is not considered fully protected until the final vaccine in the series has been given.
Vaccination should be repeated a year later, then at regular intervals. Your vet will discuss an appropriate vaccination schedule for your dog based on your dog's history and risk factors. Until puppies have received all the vaccinations in the series at 14 to 16 weeks it is prudent to be careful about exposing them to unknown dogs such as at dog parks to avoid exposure to the virus as much as possible.
Dogs suspected of having distemper should be isolated from other dogs, and the other dogs should be vaccinated if they are not currently vaccinated. The canine distemper virus does not typically survive long outside the body so thorough disinfection of the home is not as critical as with some other viruses; routine cleaning with any disinfectant should be sufficient.
Check with your vet for recommendations on waiting times to introduce a new puppy to a household with a dog that has been diagnosed with distemper. Canine Distemper Overview. Your veterinarian will probably admit your pet to the hospital for isolation and treat your dog's signs. For example:. Once the disease has affected the neurological system, it is even more difficult to treat.
Your veterinarian can give medications to help control seizures. It is possible for dogs to recover once they have entered this stage of distemper, but there are usually long-term effects. Once your veterinarian decides that your dog is stable enough to go home, it is important to watch your dog's appetite and how much it drinks and continue to give all medications.
Keep your pet in a clean and warm environment to prevent a relapse. Prevention of distemper is through vaccination. The basic vaccine for dogs is "the distemper shot", which protects against distemper, parvovirus, and other diseases.
Nursing puppies receive antibodies from their mother that help them fight infection. This begins to dwindle when the puppy is 6 to 12 weeks of age, at which point you must get it vaccinated.
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