When you take your dog to the veterinarian for vaccines, one of the shots he will receive is a vaccination against canine distemper. But what exactly IS distemper? The name sounds like a dog who’s in a bad mood. Of course this isn’t the actual meaning, but trust me, a dog with distemper feels crummy enough to have the worst attitude ever.
Distemper is a contagious (and very serious) viral infection related to measles that is carried by domestic animals such as dogs and ferrets, and certain wildlife such as wolves, foxes, and raccoons. It is spread through direct contact with an infected animal but also may be picked up through indirect contact (touching bedding or utensils that have come in contact with an infected animal) as well. The tonsils and lymph nodes are affected first, causing a high fever of around 103 degrees or higher (note that a dog’s normal body temperature is 101.3), watery, red eyes, and nasal discharge. This sounds pretty nasty, but it gets much worse. After setting up shop in the lymph nodes for about a week or so, the virus travels into the gastrointestinal system, causing the dog to have coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. At this time, he may also become anorexic. The next stop on the Distemper Express is the nervous system, causing seizures and paralysis. Certain forms of the virus may also cause the paw pads to become thickened and swollen.
Unfortunately, there currently is no cure for distemper, so the focus is on alleviating the symptoms and making the dog more comfortable. Intravenous fluids may be given to combat dehydration from diarrhea. Certain medications, such as phenobarbitol, may be administered to eliminate seizures or convulsions. Antibiotics may also be given for secondary infections which may occur due to the dog’s weakened immune system.
Dogs can and do recover from distemper, but this will depend on which virus strain was contracted and the overall strength of the dog’s immune system. Also, seizures or other dangerous disturbances to the central nervous system may occur as long as 3 months after recovery.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Since this is such a dangerous disease, vaccinations are a necessity at the outset when your dog is very young, and if you’re going to go the route of using titer tests to determine remaining immunity (please see column from 2 weeks ago), make sure you keep up on them. If the vet who performs your titer tests says that your dog needs a distemper shot, then please get one. It may save your dog’s life. (Please take note that very young puppies and senior dogs generally have weaker immune systems than healthy adult dogs.)
And now for my personal story…years ago, one of my co-workers and her family adopted a stray dog, a Yellow Labrador mix who tested positive for distemper. Although the prognosis was grim, the dog was able to pull through due to his youth and overall excellent care, although his recovery was slow and arduous. He went on to live a very long happy life.
Keep your CBF (canine best friend) safe and healthy!
