What is Canine Distemper ?

Canine Distemper a.k.a Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease. The disease has no known cure and can only be managed symptomatically. Treatment is often directed at preventing secondary bacterial infection from occurring. Distemper can be prevented by vaccinating puppies from 6 weeks to 16 weeks of age. To learn more about your puppies vaccination regimen in Nigeria, read our previous posts on puppy vaccination(previous post  )

 Canine Distemper is a very deadly disease and is one of the most common causes of death in dogs all over the world. It occurs mostly in unvaccinated puppies from 6 to 12 weeks of age.The virus is shed in all the secretions of a Canine Distemper patient.

 Transmission is mainly due to the following.
1. Contact with an infected animal or any material that may have come in contact with the infected animal's secretions.

2. Inhaling any of the Canine Distemper patient's secretions.

 Clinical Signs include

Fever
Loss of appetite
Watery eye discharge that may later thicken
Dry cough
Vomiting
Dehydration
Slobbering
Head shaking
Running in circles
Seizures
Blindness
Walking about aimlessly
Thickening of the foot pad and nose

Note that all these symptoms do not occur in every case of Canine Distemper.So please do not wait until your pet shows all the signs of the disease, before going to the veterinarian.

The Canine Distemper virus affects the brain, the skin, the eyes, the respiratory system and even the stomach and intestines. The disease also spreads easily (highly contagious ) and is very deadly. It is therefore important that you vaccinate your puppies and adult dogs when due.
Once you notice any clinical sign , please take your puppy to the vet. The vet will treat your puppy based on the symptoms (symptomatically) and also administer antibiotics to avoid secondary bacterial infection.

 On no occasion should you attempt to manage the case by yourself .The disease must be managed by a qualified veterinarian. Do not waste any time before taking your pet to the vet.The earlier the treatment starts, the greater the chances of your pet surviving the disease.

Prevention
 Prevention of Canine Distemper is by vaccinating puppies with the DHLPP vaccine. All 3 doses must be received by your puppy between 6 to 16 weeks of age. Puppies must be prevented from coming in contact with other dogs until their vaccination regimen has been completed.

Have a wonderful time with your pet. And remember its all about pets. Let's fall in love with them all over again.

Image source : vet2tu / Instagram