Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs worldwide. It is an acute, fatal disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems.
The Canine Distemper Virus is closely related to measles and spreads rapidly among canines and can cause death. However, early vaccination, as discussed below, is a good preventative strategy because there is no cure for canine distemper.
Canine Distemper is not restricted to just dogs, many other animals are also susceptible to this virus, such as:
- Fox
- Raccoons
- Red Panda
- Large Cats
Some animals are the reservoir hosts of the virus, i.e., they keep the virus in them and spread it to other animals, but the virus does not affect them.
What Are The Signs of Distemper in Dogs?
As a dog owner, you should know the signs and symptoms of canine distemper. Most dogs show signs of respiratory tract infection like pneumonia and gastrointestinal symptoms involving disturbances in the stomach and intestines besides transient fever.
A very different type of fever occurs in canine distemper. The fever occurs in waves, e.g., the fever subsides after a few days, and then again, the second wave of fever occurs.
Following are the common signs shown by dogs suffering from canine distemper:
- Transient fever after 3-6 days of infection.
- Loss of appetite
- Thick white to yellowish discharge from the nose
- White-yellowish discharge from eyes
- Encephalomyelitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord)
- Hyperkeratosis of foot pads
- Neurological signs
- Chewing-gum fits
- Excessive salivation
- Involuntary movements
- Respiratory tract infection
- Hyperkeratosis of nose
- Seizures
The off-feed behavior of animals leads to weakness, and the immune system guard drops down. Due to the weak immune system, many opportunistic bacteria present there invade the body of the dogs and cause secondary bacterial infection followed by “Pustular Dermatitis“ (pus-filled pimples in a sub-corneal layer of skin) but this condition is rarely seen.
The presence of nervous signs worsens the disease. In canine distemper, the dog shows the body’s involuntary movement like fits, and nystagmus, which is followed by complete paralysis.
The nervous signs progress rapidly in hours and make the disease difficult to treat. The dog tilts and starts to move in a circle or presses its head against the wall.
Chewing gum fits are associated with nervous signs that are characterized by champing movements of jaws and excessive salivation.
The infection may be mild or severe, depending on the severity of nervous signs. The disease itself can be treated in 10-12 days, but the involvement of the nervous system complicates the situation.
In the case of acute disease, the animal does not show any prominent signs of illness, but respiratory symptoms and death can occur quickly.
What Causes Distemper in Dogs
The transmission is the spread of the virus from one dog to another. Like other contagious viral diseases, it spreads rapidly among dogs.
Dogs can also get this virus from wild animals like raccoons and wild canids.
Following are the familiar sources of transmission of the virus:
- Interaction With The Nasal Discharge Of Infected Animal
- Interaction With The Ocular Discharge Of Infected Animal
- Shared Water And Food Bowls
- Feces
- Cough Droplets Of An Infected Animal
- From Humans Who Came In Contact With Dogs Having Canine Distemper
- Equipment and tools infected with an affected dog
When the virus enters the dog’s body, it multiplies in the body’s cells. When an animal starts to show signs, the virus appears in the body’s secretions like ocular and nasal discharge and feces. The virus is not seen in the urine of infected animals.
So anything, person, or dog that comes in contact with these contaminated secretions will lead to canine distemper. The disease spreads outrageously among kennels and leads to a great deal of mortality. Dogs share the same water and food bowl in kennels, shelters, and dog houses. They live in the same place and have more chances of getting the infection from the infected dog.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of canine distemper is based on clinical signs and history of the dog. For confirmation of the disease, your vet may recommend some tests. These include
- RT-PCR
- ELISA
- Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation
- Antigen Immunofluorescent assay(IFA)
How Do You Treat Distemper in Dogs?
Canine distemper treatment is symptomatic and supportive. If the animal hasn’t been eating and drinking, it is necessary to give balanced fluid therapy and glucose infusion by intravenous route.
Depending upon the condition of the dog, your vet may recommend
- Antibiotic Therapy for secondary bacterial infection
- Balanced Electrolyte Intra-Venous Fluid
- Anti-Convulsants are given to reduce fits, seizures, and nystagmus
- Analgesic
- Antipyretics are given to control fever
Can a dog recover from distemper?
Unfortunately, there is no specific canine distemper treatment available that is successful. Anti-viral drugs are being prepared in laboratories but are not used widely. The respiratory and gastrointestinal problems can be treated, but aggressive and rapidly increasing neurological damage slows down the recovery process.
Prevention:
The only way to protect your dog from canine distemper is to vaccinate it at the right age. The first vaccination against canine distemper is injected at the age of 6 weeks of age with 3 to 4 weeks intervals until the age of 16 weeks.
Attenuated forms of vaccinations against canine distemper are also available. These vaccines can be used according to the instructions given by manufacturers or by a qualified veterinarian.
Avoid the contact of your dog with outside stray dogs. If you introduce a new dog into the house, isolate the new dog for at least three weeks to ensure that it is not carrying any virus.