Among the few diseases that can be fatal to your dog, that of Carré remains relatively unknown. We explain to you how to prevent your companion from being affected.
Fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting, runny nose, fever… If your four-legged friend shows one or more of these symptoms, it may be that he has distemper.
Still relatively unknown to dog owners, this viral pathology is nevertheless often fatal, and is one of the five major diseases that can affect the species. So what can you do to best protect your hairball? We explain to you.
Distemper, what is it?
Distemper is caused by a Paramyxovirus, similar to that causing measles in humans. It is generally transmitted by direct or indirect contact with an infected congener, or a contaminated environment, and carried by bodily secretionssuch as saliva, urine, stool or discharge from the eyes.
It mainly affects the unvaccinated dogs, 3 to 6 months old. Because if the mother’s antibodies protect puppies until they are three months old, the immune system of young individuals is then largely weakened in the absence of adequate vaccination. Three forms of illness are observed: respiratory, intestinal and nervous.
Thus, a dog with distemper can present quite diverse symptoms, such as a dry cough due to irritation of the respiratory tract or oily depending on the presence of phlegm, sneezing, runny nose, irritated eyes, vomiting, diarrhea and severe fatigue.
When the attack is nervous, which only happens when the dog has already contracted at least one of the two previous forms (the respiratory form being the most widespread), other disorders can be observed: convulsions, epileptic seizures , motor difficulties and cataracts that can lead to blindness. In most cases, dogs with distemper initially present a high fever, which can last up to 48 hoursbefore developing other symptoms.
How to treat distemper?
The disease is often serious or even fatal, and complications can be numerous. Moreover, there is no dedicated antiviral treatment. A veterinarian will usually give broad-spectrum antibiotics, antiemetics, and antidiarrheals to reduce the severity of symptoms.
Hospitalization is very often necessary and signs of the disease may persist for a long time following recovery, especially if the disease affects the nervous system. To protect your dog once morest this disease, Vaccination is the best solution so far..
In dogs, we vaccinate in a single injection once morest the five major diseases that can affect the species, including distemper, during the immune transition of the puppy. An annual reminder is then necessary.
And if your hairball is not yet vaccinated, it is recommended to limit contact with other unknown dogs, and to avoid areas frequented by many dogs in order to avoid direct contact with their droppings.
