The Truth Regarding Dog Distemper

Canine distemper is a viral disease that can affect many different body systems. Your dog's respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems can be affected. The disease, which usually affects young puppies, is most often fatal.

The air is the main mode of transmission of the virus that causes distemper. Your dog will become infected if he breathes these airborne particles in. If your dog has been infected, you will shed the virus in his urine and feces. The virus won't be gone even after the symptoms have gone away. Your dog will keep shedding the virus for a few weeks. However, dogs stop shedding the virus after they have completely recovered from it.

Various bodily systems can be affected by distemper as mentioned earlier. Some of the most common symptoms that dogs experience include conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and vomiting. Pneumonia or other signs of an upper respiratory infection may also occur.

Loss of appetite, eye inflammation, and fever are also common signs that your dog is infected with this virus. If the central nervous system is infected, your dog will experience depression, seizures, and loss of motor skills and mental abilities. If these symptoms occur, it may be assigned that there is something more seriously wrong with your dog.

Since other conditions can cause some of the same symptoms as distemper, it can be hard to diagnose. The diagnosis can be confirmed using a laboratory test. A blood test will show that your dog has low white blood cell counts.

Since distemper in dogs can cause damage to the intestinal lining, antibiotics may be given to prevent bacterial infections. Since most dogs experience diarrhea, medications can be given to get rid of it. Your dog will likely need intravenous fluids if the diarrhea lead to dehydration.

Most dogs are given a vaccine to prevent infection by this virus. All dogs need to be given this vaccination shot. Depending on the specific shot given, your dog may need to receive a booster shot every three years.

D Swain - About Author:
It's important that all owners know about various diseases that can affect their dogs like diabetes mellitus in canines. Learning this information will help you recognize signs of disease quickly. If you're a responsible owner, head on over to common-dog-diseases.com right now to learn about common dog diseases.

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