What is canine distemper

Canine distemper, also known as canine distemper, is a contagious and severe infectious disease that mostly affects puppies. The main symptoms of canine distemper are biphasic fever, leukopenia, acute catarrhal rhinitis, bronchitis, catarrhal pneumonia, severe gastroenteritis and neurological symptoms. Canine distemper outbreaks are caused by infection with the canine distemper virus. Once the virus spreads, there is no way to control it in a short period of time. Under normal circumstances, the mortality rate is as high as more than 80%. Canine distemper has With extremely high infection and fatality rates, it has become one of the more common but difficult to cure viral diseases in animal hospitals. However, if infected dogs are vaccinated as early as possible, the mortality rate will be significantly reduced.

The mode of transmission and pathogenesis of canine distemper

Canine distemper is spread through direct or indirect contact. Sick dogs and virus-carrying dogs are the main sources of infection. Followed by other animals suffering from this disease and poison-carrying animals. The eyes, nose secretions, saliva, feces, urine and exhaled gas of sick dogs contain a large amount of viruses. The route of transmission is usually direct contact between sick dogs and healthy dogs, mainly through respiratory tract infection, followed by digestive tract infection, and of course conjunctival, oral and nasal mucosa, vaginal and rectal mucosa infections.

The mortality rate of canine distemper is high. In addition to the disease itself, there are three reasons:

1. The early symptoms of canine distemper are similar to those of colds. The misdiagnosis rate is extremely high. Many owners will make a preliminary diagnosis at home and think that if their dog sneezes or has a runny nose, it must be a cold. Veterinarian Xiao Ming Warm reminder, don’t let your habitual thinking delay your dog’s condition. After all, pet doctors like veterinarian Xiao Ming are not just for show.

2. During the treatment period, due to the economic constraints of the host, patients did not choose to use monoclonal antibodies and serum for basic treatment in the early stages of the disease, missing the best opportunity for treatment.

3. Some dogs stop treatment after their symptoms improve slightly, resulting in canine distemper relapse, and the disease will become more serious.

Clinical symptoms of canine distemper

The virulence of canine distemper infection in different dog breeds is different, and it is also related to the environment, age and immune status. Therefore, Symptoms also vary. Generally, sick dogs will be in low spirits, have a significant loss of appetite, or simply stop eating in the early stages. There will be serous discharge from the eyes and nose, which will turn into viscous or purulent discharge after a day or two, occasionally mixed with blood.

The body temperature will rise to 39.5 degrees to 41.0 degrees for two days, and then slowly subside to normal body temperature. Two days later, the sick dog's body temperature will rise again, which will appear as tears, redness of the conjunctiva, Dry nose, cough, and difficulty breathing. Severely sick dogs may even develop severe diarrhea, with their stools becoming watery, foul-smelling, andMixed with mucus and blood, if not sent to a professional pet hospital for treatment in time, the dog will die from severe dehydration. Dogs with keratinized skin on their foot pads and nose may also develop neurological symptoms, often manifesting as epilepsy, unsteady gait, paroxysmal convulsions, etc.

When the canine distemper virus attacks, sled dogs have the highest mortality rate. The reason is that the areas where sled dogs live are relatively cold. Therefore, due to their living habits, they cannot withstand the high temperature in their bodies, which leads to the death of sled dogs.

Clinical diagnosis of canine distemper

During clinical diagnosis, canine distemper can be suspected based on typical clinical symptoms combined with epidemiology. If confirmed, further experiments are required. Laboratory diagnosis, the general methods are: virus isolation method, serological diagnosis, fluorescent antibody method and inclusion body detection method, etc. The most commonly used method at present is canine distemper antigen rapid diagnostic test strip diagnosis, which is simple and fast.

How to treat canine distemper

There is currently no specific drug available for the treatment of canine distemper. Effective disinfectants should be the first choice to extinguish the virus. Clinical practice should be based on clinical practice. Symptoms are managed and treated using symptomatic and supportive care. Only by providing corresponding treatments for different periods and symptoms can the sick dog obtain the best treatment effect.

At the beginning of the diseaseInject canine distemper monoclonal antibody or anti-canine distemper hyperimmune serum. Of course, these are all left to the pet doctor, and the owner only needs to understand them briefly. The course of canine distemper is relatively long, and the sick dogs are in poor physical condition. Care must be strengthened during the treatment of canine distemper. Good care and a comfortable environment are very beneficial to the dog's recovery. However, the current use of Western medical treatment, which relies on symptom support such as blood transfusions and analgesia, is not ideal, because most Western medical treatments are biological products that are anti-inflammatory and cough-relieving.

Therefore, in some cases, traditional Chinese veterinary methods are more effective in treating canine distemper than Western veterinary methods. Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine is good at treating the disease as a whole, which is especially suitable for dogs whose disease is mainly individual. Generally there are: blood-dry-heat therapy, qi-dry-heat therapy, and prescription therapy.

How to prevent canine distemper

1. Get vaccinated

The most effective preventive measure against this disease is vaccination, twice a year, usually in spring and autumn. The effectiveness of immunity will be affected by the immunization method, vaccine characteristics, transportation and storage conditions, individual factors, etc. Puppies under three months old should be vaccinated three times for the first time, with an interval of 2 to 3 weeks between each time. For dogs that have just been brought home, they should be vaccinated in time after becoming familiar with the environment, that is, injecting immune serum 1 to 2 times, and then vaccination 15 to 20 days later. It is worth noting that female dogs are generally not vaccinated when pregnant.

2. Daily management

During the high incidence season of canine distemper, it is necessary to reduce the number of dogs in public placesDuring the activity time, pay attention to the hygiene of the dog itself and the environment, strengthen hygiene and epidemic prevention measures, and disinfect at home regularly. The most commonly used disinfectants can kill the canine distemper virus, and 14 hours of direct sunlight can also kill the canine distemper virus. If you have two or more dogs at home, you must separate sick dogs from healthy dogs. Dogs with gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms should be isolated to prevent other dogs from becoming infected.