Pet health 101: What is canine distemper and how does it affect dogs?

July 15, 8:48 PMPet Health ExaminerLorie Huston

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Canine distemper can be fatal to both dogs and puppies.

Canine distemper is an infectious disease in dogs which most frequently infects puppies and young dogs, although mature dogs may also be susceptible to the disease.

Canine distemper virus infection and symptoms

Canine distemper is caused by a virus, known as the canine distemper virus (CDV). The canine distemper virus is easily spread from one dog to another through respiratory secretions. These secretions quite often become aerosolized when an infected dog coughs.

Distemper in dogs generally starts out in the respiratory tract and commonly seen symptoms include:

• coughing
• ocular and nasal discharge, often thick and pus-like in nature
• fever
• lack of appetite
• pneumonia
• vomiting
• diarrhea

Final stages of canine distemper – neurological symptoms

Though canine distemper can be fatal at any stage during the disease, often dogs appear to recover from the symptoms listed above, only to develop neurological symptoms which appear from one to three weeks following the original symptoms. Neurological symptoms seen with canine distemper include:

• weakness, often severe
• muscle tremors
• "jaw snapping"
• seizures
• incoordination

"Hard pad disease" and canine distemper

"Hard pad disease" is another component of infection with the canine distemper virus and occurs when the virus causes the pads of the dog's feet to become callused, making them appear hard to the touch. This callusing may also occur on the nose of the infected dog.

Prognosis for recovery from canine distemper

Unfortunately, canine distemper is quite often fatal in dogs infected with the virus. For dogs that do recover from distemper, recovery may be full, with no lasting effects from the disease, or partial. Some dogs which recover from canine distemper virus infection have long-term and permanent neurological deficits.

Prevelance of canine distemper virus infection in dogs

Currently available vaccines provide adequate protection against canine distemper virus and have greatly reduced the prevelance of the disease in the general canine community. However, canine distemper is still seen in unvaccinated populations, which may include animal shelters, pet shops, rescue groups.

Puppies carry the greatest risk for infection with the canine distemper virus and can become infected with the disease before they can be adequately vaccinated, under certain circumstances. Mature dogs also carry some risk of disease but have often developed immunity which affords them protection from the disease.

Protecting dogs from infection canine distemper virus

Proper vaccination remains the best way to prevent the spread of canine distemper. Puppies can be vaccinated as early as 6-8 weeks against canine distemper and should receive vaccines against the virus every 3-4 weeks until they reach the age of 14-16 weeks. Vaccination against canine distemper should be boostered one year following the initial puppy series and then repeated every 1-3 years, depending on the lifestyle of the individual dog and the vaccination product used to vaccinate the dog.

Canine distemper and temperament

One of the commonly held misconceptions about canine distemper is that canine distemper can affect the temperament of an individual dog and either make the dog aggressive or out-going in nature. In reality, the canine distemper status of an individual dog is unrelated to that dog's temperament. Vaccination for canine distemper virus will not insure a friendly dog or act to make the vaccinated dog aggressive.

For more info: Canine distemper virus in dogs and puppies

The copyright of the article Pet Health 101: What is canine distemper and how does it affect dogs? is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Pet Health 101: What is canine distemper and how does it affect dogs? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Photo Credit: Morguefile Photo/missymax