Canine Distemper

What is canine distemper?

Caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV), canine distemper is a highly contagious and often fatal viral infection that affects a dog's respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems. It is characterised by cold like symptoms including nasal & eye discharge, fever, vomiting & diarrhea. Neurological problems and seizures may occur as the disease progresses.

The incubation period of canine distemper ranges from 2 to 20 days.

Canine distemper is spread via all body secretions (urine, nasal discharge etc) but is most abundant in respiratory secretions. The highest incidence of canine distemper occurs in unvaccinated puppies between the age of 6 & 12 weeks although dogs of any age can become infected.

The canine distemper virus is from the Procyonidae family, which is closely related to measles in humans.

What are the symptoms of canine distemper?

Symptoms of canine distemper may include;

• Fever between 103° to 106°

• Watery eye and nasal discharge, within a few days becoming thick, yellow and sticky

• Watery nasal discharge

• Loss of appetite (anorexia)

• Dehydration

• Listlessness

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Mild cough

The dog may appear to get better before a relapse occurs. During this time many dogs develop the follow symptoms:

• Neurological symptoms such as paralysis, involuntary twitching or tics, incoordination, walking in circles etc

• Seizures

• Hardening of the skin on the paw pads

• Blindness

What is the treatment for canine distemper?

There is no cure for canine distemper, once the dog acquires the disease the only treatment is supportive care to help the dog's own body fight the disease. This may include:

• Intravenous fluids to correct dehydration

• Medications to prevent vomiting and diarrhea

• Anticonvulsants to control seizures

• Antibiotics to prevent secondary bacterial infection

How to avoid canine distemper?

Vaccination against canine distemper is the best wan to prevent the disease. All puppies should be vaccinated by 6 weeks. For more information on vaccinations, please read our puppy vaccination schedule page.

Please note:

The medical articles on this site have not been written by a veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only.

Always seek immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or behavioral) in your pets. 

While great care has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice. aaa