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Canine distemper: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Canine distemper is a viral infection that often occurs in dogs and, depending on whether it is promptly diagnosed, can even be fatal. Canine distemper was responsible for numerous deaths in dogs for a long time. This fact only changed with the introduction of the distemper vaccination in the 1960s.


Nevertheless, distemper still poses a risk that owners should not underestimate. For this reason, every dog owner should still be aware of the viral disease. We explain how dogs become infected with distemper, what symptoms the disease triggers and how your vet can treat it below.

What is distemper?

The pathogen responsible for contracting canine distemper is the canine distemper virus. This viral disease primarily affects young animals between the ages of three months and about half a year. Apart from this, old dogs or dogs weakened by illness are also susceptible to infection with canine distemper.


The incubation period of canine distemper is usually about three to seven days. Animals transmit the virus via their body fluids or even faeces. The distemper virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose and then first multiplies in the bronchial lymph nodes or tonsils before finally spreading further in the organism.


Besides dogs, wild animals such as martens, foxes, ferrets, weasels, badgers and wolves can also become infected with distemper. In addition to conspecifics, direct or indirect contact with these animals therefore also poses a potential risk. For example, dogs can become infected with distemper if they eat carrion while walking or if an infected wild animal has drunk from a dog’s water bowl in the garden

Canine distemper: symptoms and course of the disease

If the dog's immune system manages to produce a sufficient amount of antibodies in the first few days after infection, there are usually no symptoms. However, this is by no means always the case, so the virus may go on to attack the nervous system, the digestive system, the urinary and sexual apparatus, or the respiratory organs, among other organs.


Depending on the organs affected, the course of the disease and the symptoms triggered by the distemper, infection in the dog differs. The typical complaints that can occur in dogs with distemper, regardless of the course of the disease, include fatigue, lack of appetite and fever.


If the canine distemper virus affects the gastrointestinal tract, dogs also experience diarrhoea and vomiting. If the respiratory organs are also affected, possible symptoms include shortness of breath and loud breathing, purulent or bloody nasal discharge as well as sneezing and coughing in dogs. In addition, distemper in dogs can sometimes also manifest itself with conjunctivitis.


Apart from this, various skin changes are also among the possible symptoms of distemper in dogs. For example, there may be keratinisation of the skin on the paws and on the nose leather, as well as the formation of pustules on the ears and the insides of the legs. If the disease occurs during the change of teeth in dogs, it is also not uncommon to expect permanent damage to the tooth enamel, which is also called distemper dentition.

Distemper can be fatal for dogs

If your four-legged friend is lucky and the immune system manages to fight off the pathogen, the course of the disease is mild and the dog is over it after just a few weeks.


If the dog's nervous system is affected by the distemper infection, however, things look different. In this case, the prognosis is far less positive and the disease often ends in death for affected dogs.


The neurological form of distemper can cause damage to the spinal cord and optic nerves as well as inflammation of the brain.

In this case, distemper in dogs can manifest itself, for example, through the following symptoms:

  • Tilting of the head
  • Paralysis symptoms
  • Coordination disorders
  • Behavioural changes
  • Muscle tremors
  • Blindness
  • Depression
  • Seizures (similar to epilepsy)

Canine distemper: diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis of a distemper infection is often difficult. If you suspect that your dog has distemper because of their symptoms, the veterinarian can perform a PCR test to detect the virus.


Treatment generally aims to alleviate the symptoms and prevent secondary bacterial infections. For this purpose, expectorants and cough suppressants can be used in addition to antibiotics. In the case of severe diarrhoea, an infusion may also be necessary to compensate for the loss of fluids.


Depending on the condition, your dog may need to be admitted to hospital. The chances of recovery depend largely on the severity of the infection. If the dog's nervous system is affected by distemper, it is unfortunately often unavoidable to have the four-legged friend put to sleep.


Apart from that, even in dogs that are supposedly completely cured, later effects are possible. These include, for example, the distemper bite already mentioned, as well as neurological disorders and organ damage.

Important preventive measure: distemper vaccination for dogs

If you want to protect your dog from a distemper infection, you should have your four-legged friend vaccinated against the virus in any case. The distemper vaccination is one of the so-called compulsory vaccinations for dogs. These are the vaccinations that the Standing Commission on Vaccination in Veterinary Medicine recommends for all dogs, regardless of the dog’s lifestyle.


The basic vaccination against distemper can usually be started eight weeks after the birth of the four-legged friend. It requires a total of four vaccination doses. To ensure lasting protection, your vet must boost your dog’s distemper vaccination every three years.

Shiimun

How you can support your dog's immune system

A functioning immune system plays a crucial role regarding the possible consequences of a distemper infection for a dog. In order to support your dog's defences, in addition to avoiding excessive stress and feeding a balanced diet of high-quality dog food, the administration of suitable nutritional supplements is also useful.


With Bellfor Immune and Shiimun Immune, you will find two preparations in our range that you can use for this purpose. Both supplements were developed together with veterinarians and contain only natural ingredients. Thanks to their special composition, Bellfor Immune and Shiimun Immune provide your dog with many important nutrients for a strong immune system.


Get to know Bellfor Immune.


Get to know Shiimun Immune.

Canine distemper - our conclusion

As you can see, canine distemper is a serious disease that can be fatal to your dog. It is therefore imperative for dogs to be vaccinated against the distemper virus when they are still puppies.


Aside from this, a functioning immune system plays a very important role concerning the possible consequences of an infection with distemper. By avoiding unnecessary stress as well as providing your pooch with a balanced diet and high-quality dog food, you make an important contribution to solid immune defences. In addition, if necessary, the administration of suitable food supplements can be useful to support the immune system.

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