Protect your dog: Prevent canine distemper

In this month’s article we will be discussing an important disease seen in canines, known as “Canine Distemper”. You may be familiar with this condition’s name, by being one of the vital vaccinations that your dog receives at his or her’s earliest visits to the vet. If your dog is not vaccinated properly against this virus, then there are several ways that he or she can contract it. The most common mode of transmission would be directly from another infected dog. This can occur from direct contact with infected urine, saliva or blood. Sharing a food or water bowl with a dog infected with Canine Distemper, can also give a means of contracting this virus. It can also travel from one dog to another from sneezing and coughing.

Puppies and growing dogs are the most susceptible to Canine Distemper, especially those that are not properly vaccinated for it. This can be a common misunderstanding or miscommunication of occurrence when adopting a rescue dog, who is labelled to be vaccinated. However, in reality, at many times these dogs in these situations have mistakenly not been vaccinated. Mothers, who are not vaccinated and give birth, offer a high risk to passing the virus onto their offspring. If newborn puppies get infected with this virus, through these means, then the immune system can become very weak. This allows for more serious conditions and complications to occur, such as: pneumonia. Canine Distemper can cause multiple symptoms in your pet, like: coughing, sneezing, fever, lethargy, a thick mucus discharge seen from the eyes and nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and depression. More characteristic signs that can be seen in infected canines are hyperkeratosis of the foot pads and nose. What this means is that the bottom of the dog’s foot pads and his nose become very hardened to the touch.

If you notice any of the signs listed above being exhibited by your pet, then it is very important for you to take your dog to a veterinarian as soon as possible. When it comes to the course of treatment for this condition, timing is everything. The sooner this condition is caught; the sooner supportive treatment can be established. This virus holds properties of spreading very rapidly and aggressively throughout your dog’s body. Therefore, treating your dog according with speed and care is important. Currently, there is no specific treatment recorded for Canine Distemper. It is labelled as an incurable disease. The main medical help that your veterinarian can offer, once this condition is officially diagnosed, is supportive care and IV fluids to counteract any dehydration or underlying health problems. Antibiotics may be administered long term in order for your dog to build up his immune system overtime. This will also allow to avoid having further health complications arise.

Canine distemper can very easily be prevented. There are different measures of protection that can be implemented in order to protect your dog from this virus. The most important step is to make sure you have spoken with your veterinarian about vaccinating against Canine Distemper. This is considered a core vaccination in British Columbia. If you are the owner of a puppy, then it would be wise to have him or her vaccinated at the age of six to seven weeks old. Vaccination doses will continue at three to four week intervals until the puppy is around sixteen weeks old. During this time period it is important to make sure that your puppy is not in contact with any infected dogs or any potential environments for this virus to be present. Therefore, in order to keep a clean and healthy environment in your household, it is also important to maintain good hygiene for your pet, by cleaning their kennels and possessions regularly.