Dog Distemper Disease Symtoms

A highly contagious virus that affects dogs called canine distemper virus or CDV causes distemper in dogs. This disease affects the central nervous system and the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. No cure has been found for this kind of disease yet and it is commonly fatal for dogs.

Before the vaccine for this disease was created during the early 60's, it was the leading cause of death for puppies. Three to six-month old puppies are very vulnerable to this disease but adult dogs and also other canines, can have this disease at any given age. After the discovery of the vaccine, however, there has been a decrease in the rate of mortality in puppies who acquire this disease.

Canine distemper virus can be acquired by inhaling particles of the virus that are borne in the air. Aside from that, the bodily secretions and the excreta of infected dogs can also contain the virus, hence, it is very easy to transfer this disease from one dog to another.

Symptoms of distemper include central nervous disorders and arious respiratory and gastrointestinal ones. Dogs who acquire it eventually die of complications in the central nervous system or due to secondary bacterial infections caused by this disease.

The presence of this disease in your dog can only be determined by ruling out other diseases that have the same type of symptoms as CDV. Thus, it is very difficult for a veterinarian to diagnose whether a dog has CDV or not even if blood tests were conducted.

There is still no cure for distemper, hence, treatment could only consist in preventing the symptoms. The dog must be given a lot of warm, clean air that is free from draft to make him feel comfortable. Medication should be given for his diarrhea and he should be given plenty of water and fluids to keep him hydrated. Most of these dogs are likely to suffer from fever and dehydration. Clean their eyes and nose constantly from discharges to avoid infection. Treat the symptoms as they appear on your dog.

Avoiding this disease is probably the best cure that can be recommended. Give your puppies some vaccination for this disease during its early weeks. This will boost his immunity against the canine distemper virus. Most puppies are given these shots, anyway. However, this inoculation do not have a lasting effect on your dogs. You may need to have him vaccinated again after a year, but it would all be worth it considering that it is not curable.

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