Canine Distemper Virus

Canine Distemper is one viral illness that can affect a lot of dogs. Sometimes it is fatal. Most of the times it affects the Canidae family members but it can also affect the Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Procyonidae and Felidae Families.

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Canine Distemper is known as 'Hard Pad' and this happens because the virus can cause the pads to become larger.?But this is just a minor effect of the Distemper illness. The main worries are the nervous system of the dog and the way in which it is attacked. Some dogs even get paralyzed. The age of the dog does not matter when it comes to this disease. Unvaccinated dogs and the ones that are very young tend to be more susceptible.

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The spreading of the infection:

Distemper Virus gets transmitted if one dog is in direct contact with another infected dog. It is also spread in the air.

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The Symptoms:

They usually appear 4 days after the infection moment but they can appear 18 days after also. A 39 degrees C or 102 Degrees F fever is one of the most common symptoms. Reddish eyes and watery discharges from the nose are symptoms also.

The virus will attach the lymph nodes and tonsils and the dog will soon lose appetite.

Persistent cough can also appear, plus acute vomiting and also diarrhea. Teeth will go brown and the paws will thicken. Neurological damage comes next.

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The Survival:

The measles vaccine is used sometimes to treat this disease in puppies.?Antibiotic injections, force-feeding of supplementary nutrients and intravenous fluid drips work for older dogs. But there is no definitive treatment and only management of the disease. It also depends on the stage of the disease.

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Some dogs may find it hard to leave with the symptoms but there are ways to make it more manageable. In many cases the adverse effects happen quite sudden and the virus gets spread easily in the body. The dog will even develop paralysis and it is best to euthanize the dog.

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Prevention:

It is always best to prevent than to cure and this is also the case. Vaccination is a must for puppies and the dog should be quarantined after the vaccination, for a period of a week. If you notice symptoms you must take the dog immediately to the doctor and prevent him from socializing with other dogs because they could also get seriously infected.

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