What is Canine Distemper?
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Canine distemper is a serious
disease caused by a highly contagious virus that attacks
the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems
of dogs. The virus also infects foxes, wolves, coyotes,
raccoons and other wild animals in the canine family.
Juvenile dogs are most prone to infection. Older dogs
can also be infected although with much less frequency.
More than 50% of dogs that acquire the disease die
from canine distemper. An even lower 20% survival
rate is present for puppies. And even if the dog survives
the disease, it is very likely that its health will
be permanently damaged.
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A case of canine distemper leaves the nervous system impaired
with little to no hope for total recover. Partial or complete
paralysis is common as well as other effects on sense of
smell, and hearing and sight acuity. Infected dogs are more
prone to other diseases such as pneumonia. The canine distemper
virus (CDV) is not transmissible to man.
Canine distemper virus is transmitted most often through
getting in contact with mucous and discharges from the infected
dogs' eyes and noses. Exposure to the urine and feces of
dogs with this infection can also cause it.
Even without coming in contact with infected dogs, a healthy
one can still contract the disease through exposure to kennels
and other areas where infected dogs have been in. These
areas can still harbor the virus since it is airborne and
can stay alive outside a host for long periods of time.
It is almost impossible to prevent your pet from exposure
to the virus. Some scientists predict that every dog living
for 12 months has had contact with the virus at one point
in time.
The symptoms of canine distemper are not necessarily easily
detected. And it is because of this that immediate treatment
is rarely given. The disease is commonly disguised as something
like a bad cold with most of the dogs with the infection
running a fever and a stuffy head. Complications such as
pneumonia, bronchitis and severe inflammation of the stomach
and intestines can also develop from the disease.
What an owner should be on the look out for in watching
for signs of distemper such as squinting and/or a discharge
from the eyes. If this occurs in tandem to loss of weight,
vomiting, coughing,
nasal drips, and diarrhea, there is more cause for concern.
The virus then affects the nervous system in more advanced
stages of the disease, which can cause nervous ticks and
twitches as well as partial to complete paralysis. Infected
dogs may also display listless behavior and have poor to
no appetites. There have been cases when the virus causes
sudden growth of the footpad's tough keratin cells, which
results in a hardened pad.
Prevention
Canine distemper is so well-spread and the symptoms so
varying that if your pet displays any signs such as those
mentioned above, a visit to a veterinarian for a diagnosis
should be made promptly.
Similar to some viral diseases, surviving an infection
usually develops the sufficient immunity needed to protect
the dog from distemper infection for the rest of their lives.
However, lots of dogs (especially pups) do not survive infection.
Vaccination is still the safest and surest protection.
And until scientists develop a distemper vaccine that guarantees
life-long immunity with a single series of inoculations,
veterinarians recommend vaccinations for your dog every
year.
Puppies who have been born to dogs that have survived the
disease acquire a certain amount of natural immunity from
the colostral milk produced by their mother during the first
few days after birth. The amount of immunity a puppy
acquires differs with the amount of antibodies its mother
has. Nevertheless, it is never complete and will diminish
quickly to about half by 8 days old and then nearly three-fourths
by 2 weeks' time.
It is impossible for a pet owner to know when his pet should
be vaccinated since the proper time for vaccination varies
from one animal to the other. The veterinarian
can determine the most proper time to begin vaccination
basing this decision upon his experience and your dog's
general health.
To maintain and assure this general good health and condition,
regular care and close observation of hints of ill health
are required. Experts suggest consulting immediately with
your veterinarian if your pet shows signs of:
- Abnormal eye and/or nose discharge
- Loss of appetite
- Fluctuating weight losses and gains
- Excessive water consumption
- Abnormal and uncontrolled stool production
- Abnormal viciousness or lethargy
- Abnormal limping
- Difficulty getting up or lying down
- Constant head shaking, scratching, licking or biting
of body
- Loss of hair, open sores, ragged or dull coat
- Foul breath
- Excessive tarter deposits on teeth
It is possible that even with these symptoms, CDV infection
may not be the case. But it is still better to be sure to
bring these concerns to an expert so that the problem can
be addressed right away.
Even with a disease this serious, you can turn the tide
of canine distemper to your pet's favor with prudence for
your pet's health, taking the correct actions to symptoms
observed and being in constant consultation with your vet.
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