FOR INFORMATION ONLY:

"Animal Distemper is a deadly disease that cannot be treated. Vaccination is a critical preventative.

Animal distemper is a paramyxovirus, very similar to the virus that causes measles in humans. In dogs, it affects a wide range of organs, including the skin, brain, eyes, intestinal, and respiratory tracts. It occurs in dogs and other wild carnivores.

Dogs that receive the vaccine should be protected from the virus unless the vaccine did not take hold as is sometimes the case in puppies. who need to be several months old (4 to 6) since antibodies in their system from their mother can prevent the vaccine from taking hold.

Contrary to rumors, there is no evidence the CDV can cause multiple sclerosis or infection in humans.

Animal Distemper Symptoms

Dog health distemper symptoms include:

* Reddened eyes, discharge from the eyes * Blindness may occur
* Cough
* Runny nose
* Fever
* Vomiting
* Diarrhea
* Loss of appetite, weight loss
* Loss of energy
* Muscle tremors
* Paralysis
* Seizures
* Thickened foot pads
* Thickened pad on the nose

Symptoms may be mild or severe. In mild cases, it may not be easily recognized as distemper.

Animal Distemper Diagnosis

Distemper diagnosis is difficult.

There are blood tests that can help to diagnose the disease but they are not always effective. For instance, finding that white blood cells are very low suggests a diagnosis of distemper, but it can indicate other illnesses as well. Vets also look for evidence that white blood cells have produced special antibodies to fight distemper. However, if a dog has been vaccinated in the past, these antibodies will often be present, whether or not the dog actually has distemper. There are other blood tests that actually look for the virus itself, but these often show false negatives as the virus “hides” inside the cells and does not show up in the blood.

Another test for the disease is a cerebral spinal fluid test (CFS). This involves taking a sample of spinal fluid and examining it. It is a costly and somewhat dangerous test, however. And it will not always be accurate.

Hopefully, one of the tests for distemper will be accurate and give you a diagnosis. Otherwise, your vet may have to simply make a diagnosis based on your dog’s symptoms.

Canine Distemper Treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for distemper in adult dogs or for puppy distemper. That’s why it is so important to get your dog vaccinated against the disease. Your dog should be vaccinated.

If your dog gets distemper, a veterinarian should treat him with antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infections. He many need IV fluids and nutritional supplements. Anti-seizure medications can be given is he has developed seizures as a symptom of his condition. He should be kept away from other animals, as distemper is highly contagious.

Dogs that recover from the virus are immune from CDV (canine distemper virus) for life.