Being highly contagious, serious, and affecting only dogs, the canine distemper may present a high risk to the animal’s health.
Furthermore, when not diagnosed in its initial phase, the disease can leave neurological sequelae and can often be fatal, with the lack of vaccination being one of the main factors of contamination.
Continue reading and find out everything about the disease, especially methods of preventing canine distemper.
After all, what is distemper?
Caused by the CDV virus or Canine Distemper Virus, also known as Canine Distemper Virus, from the family Paramyxoviridaedistemper is a disease extremely contagious and which mainly affects dogs.
Being able to affect all ages and races, the disease has some stages, and, in its initial phase, the symptoms are quite common, but as it worsens, the respiratory and neurological system can be affected. In many cases the animal does not resist or needs to be euthanized.
Symptoms of distemper
Os symptoms may vary depending on the stage of the disease and the dog, and therefore, in its initial phase, they can easily be confused with a food disorder, conjunctivitis, flu and, often, they can even improve.
However, they can worsen and affect the pet’s central nervous system. Pay attention to the symptoms.
- Skin symptoms: appearance of pus-filled balls on the pet’s abdomen, paws and snout, as well as skin rashes and conjunctivitis.
- Digestive symptoms: diarrhea, presence of blood in the stool, vomiting, lack of appetite and pain in the abdomen.
- Respiratory symptoms: nasal secretion, coughing, sneezing, phlegm formation, bronchopneumonia, rhinitis and difficulty breathing.
- Neurological symptoms: disorientation, involuntary spasms, nystagmus, paralysis of the pelvic limbs, lack of motor coordination, tremors and convulsions.
However, only a veterinarian can diagnose the pet, so it is essential to investigate any symptoms the pet has.
Does a dog with distemper feel pain?
Yes, dogs with distemper usually feel pain. As the disease worsens, symptoms may intensify, causing pain and discomfort to the animal. Therefore, medical monitoring throughout the treatment is important.
Disease transmission
Distemper is spread by ar and also by direct contact with secretion from the infected pet’s eyes, nose, urine, toys or objects.
Furthermore, there is a period of the year when care for distemper needs to be doubled. This happens in winter or very rainy seasonsas the disease spreads easily.
How to protect your dog against distemper?
Lack of vaccination for puppies and outdated vaccinations for adult dogs are the main factors of contamination.
Vaccinations are extremely important to prevent these and other diseases from leading to death or leaving serious consequences in your pet.
Therefore, the most effective way is keep the animal’s vaccinations up to date and take extra care with your hygiene.
Diagnosis and Treatment
The diagnosis is made by a veterinarian, as some tests are carried out, including: blood count, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and rapid test for distemper.
Furthermore, there is no specific treatment for canine distemper, only for the symptoms experienced by the pet. Experts say that an early diagnosis is extremely important, as antibiotics act against bacteria and prevent secondary infections.
With treatment, the virus is eliminated, but it can also leave consequences. Therefore, it is important that the owner keeps the pet’s vaccination card up to date.
Is there a cure for distemper?
At the moment, There is no cure for the disease. However, the symptoms of distemper can be treated, as there is no medicine specific to combat the virus and the aim of treatment is to strengthen the dog’s body in every way possible to help it fight the infection.
General questions:
Which dogs are most at risk?
The disease mostly affects puppies without vaccinations. But it can also happen in adults with delayed vaccinationacross all ages and races.
Distemper caught in humans?
Although it is highly infectious among dogs, it is not transmitted to humans, and therefore, It is not a zoonosis.
Can cats get distemper?
No, it does not affect felines, however, cats also need to be up to date with their vaccinations to avoid other diseases that affect the species.
Can raw eggs cure distemper?
No, because we are talking about a disease that has no cure. In addition Raw egg intake is not recommended. This is because eating this raw food poses a risk of contamination by Salmonella bacteria. On the other hand, cooking the egg eliminates the chances of contamination.
