Dog's Diseases

Distemper

What causes distemper?
Canine distemper is a disease caused by a virus. It can cause very serious illness and even death. The disease is transmitted by sneezing and coughing, and is also spread in the urine and faeces. Puppies are at most risk from this virus as they have no protection from vaccination and are often kept in groups. The disease can spread very quickly if an infected animal is introduced to the group. This is especially true in pet shops where new puppies are constantly coming in and going out. Infected puppies may not show any sickness for up to 2 weeks, so even when your new puppy looks healthy there is still a chance he/she may get sick from this disease.

Older dogs can also become ill with distemper, they are at more risk if they are not vaccinated and are in contact with other non vaccinated dogs.

How can I protect my puppy?
The best way to prevent puppies getting this disease is to ensure that the mother of the puppy is properly vaccinated before she gets pregnant, and to keep the puppies away from other dogs until they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves. Where your puppy is purchased from a pet shop, there is a moderate risk of infection. A single vaccination does not mean your dog is protected. Your puppy will not be protected from the disease until 2 weeks after his/her last vaccination. You should keep your puppy indoors and away from other non vaccinated dogs until this time.

How do I know if my dog has this disease?
If your puppy starts coughing/ sneezing, develops a discharge from the nose or refuses to eat then it is possible that he/she may have distemper virus. . Distemper is a lot more serious than kennel cough and can also spread to the central nervous system causing tremors and seizures.

How sick your dog becomes depends on the amount of type and amount of virus they were exposed to as well as their immune system. If their immune system is strong then they may only have mild disease - similar to kennel cough ( a mild disease causing upper respiratory signs). However where their immune system is weaker, distemper often leads to pneumonia and sometimes may even spread to the central nervous system causing tremors and seizures.

If your dog only has mild symptoms, your vet may ask you to come back in a few days — this is because the disease may progress from mild to more severe signs. Sometimes they may want to take an x-ray to check if the disease has spread to the lungs.