Distemper is a very nasty canine disease caused by a paramyxovirus. This virus usually gets into a dog through the respiratory tract. It then moves into the lymphatic tissues and spreads throughout the body. Puppies are especially susceptible. While distemper used to be fairly widespread and caused many serious epidemics among dog populations, the disease is now well controlled by vaccination programs.

Signs You Will See

Dogs with distemper often start out with a fever and a cough, starting from three to twenty days after exposure. At this time, many dogs will have a very thick, greenish discharge from the eyes and nose. Pneumonia may follow, and some dogs will also show stomach and intestinal signs — vomiting and diarrhea. For some lucky dogs, this will be the end of the disease, and with careful nursing care they go on to recover. If a puppy is infected while the teeth are developing, some teeth may show a lack of enamel, as the illness interferes with normal body growth.

Other dogs will continue with the pneumonia and possibly develop hardpad disease, in which the pads on their feet grow thick and hard. About half of dogs with distemper start to show nerve damage about four weeks after the start of the illness. These dogs may show twitching and develop a funny gait with progression to full-blown seizures. Many of these dogs end up being euthanized.

Treatment and Prevention

Viral diseases do not have antidotes, in the way we think of antibiotics and their power over bacteria. There are very few medications that actually directly kill viruses, and those are very specific — a couple of eye medications, for example, work against herpes viruses. Treatment of viral diseases therefore consists of doing everything you can to support your dog's basic health and keep her strength up while her own body defenses fight off the virus. Your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics for your dog to help fight off bacteria that might take advantage of her lowered body defenses. Your dog may also need additional vitamins, fluids, and special foods. Good nursing care — keeping her warm, cleaning off discharges, encouraging her to eat — may all help your dog to recover faster. Despite all efforts, some dogs will die, and others will end up euthanized due to debilitating neurologic disease.

As with so many diseases, it is much easier and makes much more sense to try to prevent distemper in the first place. This is easily accomplished by vaccinations. Most puppies receive distemper in their initial series of vaccinations with a booster a year later. The frequency of boosters after that is currently a matter of much debate. Discuss a vaccination schedule with your veterinarian, and come up with a customized schedule that makes sense for your dog and her lifestyle.