Distemper in Dogs

What is distemper?

Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic dogs and other animals, such as ferrets, skunks, and raccoons. It is an incurable, often fatal, multisystemic (affecting multiple organs) disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).

Distemper is spread mainly by direct contact between a susceptible dog and an infected dog showing symptoms. Coughing and sneezing can spread the virus over short distances.

What are the clinical signs of distemper?

Clinical signs vary. The main clinical signs are:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Thick yellow discharge from the eyes and nose
• Cough

In severe cases, clinical signs may include:

• Seizures
• Neurological signs, such as ataxia (stumbling), head tilt, and paralysis

Many diseases cause diarrhea and vomiting, and several cause similar respiratory and neurological signs, but few diseases cause all these problems simultaneously. Dogs that recover from the disease are often left with persistent nervous muscular twitches and recurrent seizures.

How is distemper treated?

As with most viral infections, there is no specific treatment for distemper. Antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, ampicillin, or doxycycline) are not effective against viruses but help control secondary bacterial infections that often occur with distemper. Distemper treatment aims to reduce the intensity of signs and symptoms, and includes:

• Hospitalization to provide intensive nursing care
• Intravenous fluid therapy
• Treatment of symptoms (e.g., vomiting, diarrhea, cough)
• Anti-seizure medications in some cases (e.g., diazepam or phenobarbital)

How can I prevent my dog from becoming infected?

Fortunately, there are highly effective vaccines to protect dogs from this deadly disease.

• Puppies receive distemper vaccines with other routine vaccines at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks of age.
• Dogs should receive additional distemper boosters every one or three years, depending on which vaccine is used. Your veterinarian will help you determine how often your dog should receive the booster vaccine.

Your veterinarian can also perform vaccine titers to determine whether the dog has an adequate immunity level; however, these tests are often more costly than vaccinating. If titers show an inadequate level, vaccination is still recommended.

How common is distemper?

Canine distemper occurs worldwide, but because of the widespread use of vaccines, it is much less common now than in the 1970s. Distemper is still seen in populations with low vaccination rates and stray dogs. The virus may persist in recovered carrier dogs and wildlife, such as skunks and raccoons. It is essential to keep vaccinating our dog population to prevent canine distemper from returning as a major killer of dogs.