The cause of canine distemper

The cause of canine distemper is that after the dog is exposed to the canine distemper virus, the body's resistance to the canine distemper virus is weak, leading to the disease. Not all dogs exposed to the virus will become sick. Dogs that are immune and have strong antibodies to the canine distemper virus will not become sick. Some dogs that are not immune but have strong physical constitution can suppress the virus through their own immune regulation without getting sick after being exposed to the disease.
Canine distemper mainly infects young dogs that are not fully vaccinated. Adult dogs that are not fully vaccinated are also infected. In addition to infecting dogs, canine distemper can also infect other animals. In addition to canines, pandas, minks, lynxes, foxes, etc. can also be infected.

Symptoms of canine distemper

According to the symptoms, canine distemper can be divided into three types: respiratory type, gastrointestinal type and skin disease type. Clinically, the most common type is the respiratory tract type, followed by the gastrointestinal type, and the skin type is very rare.
The early stage of canine distemper mainly manifests symptoms such as runny nose, cold, cough, and low fever. As the condition worsens, symptoms such as purulent discharge from the eyes and nose, loss of appetite or exhaustion, cough, pneumonia, and high fever will appear. The gastrointestinal type will cause abdominal vomiting symptoms. The condition continues to worsen, and when it reaches the advanced stage, neurological symptoms such as convulsions and unconscious moaning will appear.
The mortality rate after canine distemper virus infection is extremely high. Once neurological symptoms develop in the later stages, the mortality rate can be as high as 80%.

Diagnosis and treatment of canine distemper

First of all, owners should have a basic understanding of the clinical symptoms of canine distemper, and then make decisions based on the autoimmune status and symptoms of their dogs. Judgment, if the symptoms are consistent and the dog is not fully immune or does not produce strong enough antibodies, it should be taken to the doctor.
Secondly, the symptoms of gastrointestinal canine distemper are similar to those of parvovirus, so when testing, it is necessary to check for parvovirus, coronary and other gastrointestinal infectious diseases at the same time.
At present, the clinical detection of canine distemper mainly includes detection plate detection and PCR detection. Among them, the PCR detection accuracy can be as high as 100%, and the accuracy of the detection plate will vary due to different manufacturers, ranging from about 80% to 95%. Another point is that when the canine distemper virus is in the process of transferring to nerve cells, the test plate may not be able to detect it.

The treatment plan needs to be selected based on the dog’s appetite and the severity of the condition. If the appetite is good and the symptoms are not serious, you can choose to inject antiviral drugs such as interferon and canine distemper monoclonal antibodies, combined with oral or subcutaneous injection of respiratory anti-inflammatory drugs, phlegm-reducing drugs and other symptomatic treatment drugs to ensure that the pet eats enough. , maintain a better appetite. If the condition is more serious, the appetite is lost, or the condition is aggravated by injection treatment, it is necessary to cooperate with infusion for treatment, providing nutrients through infusion, and supplying drugs through veins.
The treatment course for canine distemper is about 1-1.5 months, which is a needChronic severe infectious diseases that require great patience to treat. During the treatment period, the condition may recur at any time, so do not take it lightly during the entire treatment period. After canine distemper is cured, life-long immunity is theoretically confirmed, but there is currently no sufficient documentation to prove it, so it is still recommended to strengthen immunity after cure.
Canine distemper virus causes serious damage to the body due to long treatment time, and long-term medication may leave sequelae after cure. It takes a certain amount of time to slowly adjust. If the neurological symptoms are cured, the neurological symptoms may persist for months to years, and a small number of them may remain with them for life.

Methods to prevent canine distemper

Vaccination: After buying the puppy, take good care of it for a week. If the puppy is in good health, it should be vaccinated in time. Three infectious disease vaccinations are required in the first year, and an antibody test should be conducted 7-14 days after the third injection to ensure that the dog has produced strong enough antibodies. Adult dogs also need to be vaccinated every year to ensure that they have strong enough antibodies in their bodies.
Isolate the source of the disease: After the puppy is bought back, its range of activities should be restricted and it should not be allowed to wander around the house at home. On the one hand, the larger the range of activities, the easier it is to be exposed to dangerous factors. On the other hand, a small area is conducive to us taking measures to keep our dogs warm.