Canine Distemper Virus
By: Lizy Munoz
Background Info
Other Name(s): Hardpad Disease
Characteristics: It's an rna virus from the morbillivirus family which is in the same family that causes the measels in humans
Who it affects: It affects dogs and other canines, the Mustelidae family (weasel, otter, ferret, wolverine), the Procyonidae family (raccoons, kinkajous, ringtails), can affect pandas and big cats (lions)
Viral or Bacterial: It is a Viral disease
How is it spread?: through urine and feces, through air since It is an airborne disease
Symptoms
- high fever
- eye and nose discharge
- eye inflammation
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- loss of energy
- loss of appetite
- trouble breathing
- coughing
- hardening of the footpads & nose
1
hardening of the nose (thickening of the skin)
2
eye discharge
3
enamel hypoplasia (eroding of the teeth)
How is it diagnosed?
It is diagnosed once the animal shows the basic symptoms and is confirmed when blood work is done also a brush border slide of the inner lining of the bladder stained with diff-quick if a dog has a stage of distemper the slider will be tinted red
Cure? Prevention?
There is no cure but there is treatments available
- antibiotics
- iv fluids
- anti-seizure medication
- steroids
It can be prevented by giving the animal a vaccination against the virus, also by maintaining a clean environment around the animal
Long lasting signs
Since there is no cure only treatment CDV causes long lasting symptoms/signs
- it causes neurological damage that cause the animal to be disoriented
- have "tics"
- seizures
- can cause them to be paralyzed
- eyesight and coordination reduction
- deterioration of mental ability and motor skills
- enamel hypoplasia
Most animals are humanely euthanized because of immense pain the animal goes through