Distemper
Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
Canine distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems.
Canine distemper virus is fatal to 80 percent of the puppies and 50 percent of the adult dogs that contract it. Symptoms include congested lungs, nasal discharge, gunky eyes, coughing, weight loss, vomiting, and diarrhea. As the disease progresses, it attacks the nervous system, often causing partial or complete paralysis and seizures.
Distemper is highly contagious. Dogs can get the virus through the air, by direct contact with urine, feces, or secretions from infected dogs, and by contact with kennels, bedding, toys, or other objects that may hold the virus.
Infection
Dogs from four months to four years old are particularly susceptible. Canine distemper virus
(CDV) spreads through the air and through contact with infected bodily fluids, including food and water contaminated with these fluids. The time between infection and disease is 14 to 18 days, although there can be a fever from three to six days post infection.
Symptoms
- Dullness and redness of the eye
- Discharge from nose
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Cough
- Shivering
- Fever
- Loss of appetite and energy
- Weight loss
- Seizures
- Thickened footpads
- Tooth enamel hypoplasia
Treatment & Prevention
- There is no specific treatment for canine distemper. The dog should be treated by a veterinarian, usually with antibiotics for secondary bacterial infections, intravenous fluids, and nutritional supplements. The prognosis is poor.
- There exist a number of vaccines against canine distemper for dogs and domestic ferrets, which in many jurisdictions are mandatory for pets.
- The type of vaccine should be approved for the type of animal being inoculated, or else the animal could actually contract the disease from the vaccine.
- Animals should be quarantined if infected. The virus is destroyed in the environment by routine cleaning with disinfectants, detergents, or drying. It does not survive in the environment for more than a few hours at room temperature (20-25° C), but can survive for a few weeks at temperatures slighty above freezing.
Links
http://www.animalhealthchannel.com/distemper/
http://www.sheltermedicine.com/portal/is_canine_distempervirus.shtml
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