Almost every home now has a pet who is, of course, a member of the family, while we love our pets so much, it is very crucial that we watch out for the possible cases of infections that could affect our pets and the ones that could spread to pet owners as well. Today, we consider Canine Distemper, which is a contagious and highly serious disease that is caused by a virus, this virus attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs and puppies. The virus is, however, not just limited to dogs alone but also has the ability to also affect wild animals like wolves, raccoons, coyotes, and foxes, it has also been reported in leopards, lions, seals, and wild cats. The route of infection spread is often through saliva, aerosols, or grooming.
The word distemper was coined from the Middle English word distemperen which translates to mean, the upset of the balance of the humor. Another name for canine distemper is, hardpad disease, the name was given due to the hardening of the footpads and nose that can affect infected dogs. The most common infection source is through direct contact, between the susceptible dog and the infected dog or wildlife as the case may be. Canine Distemper, is very common amongst young unvaccinated dogs, often in the first year of their life, but it is also possible to find them in adult dogs.
Direct contact is the most common source of infection between a susceptible dog and an infected/wildlife dog. The major transmission mode is through the aerosolization of respiratory exudate that contains the virus, although there are other excretions and secretions of the body that can lead to the infection of the susceptible host if aerosolized.
This virus can also be transmitted through shared bowls and other equipment, Infected virus have the ability to shed the virus for months, mother dogs can also spread the virus through the placenta to their puppies.
When a dog is infected, it will develop a watery to pus-like discharge from its eyes, then it could begin to develop fever, cough, nasal discharge, cough, reduced appetite, lethargy, and vomiting. While the virus attacks the nervous system, infected dogs would develop circling behavior, muscle twitches, head tilt, convulsions with jaw chewing salivation and movements, the pet could also have seizures, and partial or complete paralysis. This virus may also cause the footpads to become hard and thicken, leading to a hard pad disease. When wildlife gets infected, they begin to have canine distemper that has a close resemblance with rabies.
Canine Distemper can cause the birth of weak puppies, stillbirth, and abortion. It is indeed a highly contagious disease, posing a high threat to particularly, a highly populated, unexposed or unvaccinated, susceptible species. It may be difficult to diagnose canine distemper infection because so many diseases have similar symptoms that look like it, Neurological symptoms of the infection have to be differentiated from other forms of trauma, infections, and ingestions of toxins. The history of vaccination of the affected animal, and clinical symptoms alongside laboratory testing, support a probable diagnosis of canine distemper infection. There are 5 diagnostic methods commonly used;
- Immunofluorescence assay (IFA).
- Serology for IgM, IgG, and Distemper antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
- Cell culture.
- Reverse transcription.
- Necropsy/histopathology.
There is currently no specific antiviral drug to treat cases of canine distemper-induced diseases. Treatment is usually supported with fluids, antiemetics, expectorants, and antibiotics. Puppies that develop neurological diseases have a poor prognosis. Control measures have predominantly relied on the use of a modified live virus immunization program in dogs, this will require a series of vaccination series in puppies, they should be given a booster at 6 months and another booster when they become a year old. Adult dogs in proximity to pregnant dogs and puppies need to be given boosters to minimize the shedding of canine distemper in the environment.
In addition to immunization, in the case of the domestic dog population, hygienic measures are important. When puppies are not vaccinated, they should be isolated from other dogs that are not from their own circle. There also has to be strict isolation of dogs that are infected with canine distemper, which is the most important step for controlling the disease. Remember we mentioned that, the virus gets shed through body secretions and excretions during the acute systemic disease.
A form of direct dog-to-dog contact and indirect aerosol transmission is often the main routes of viral spread, but canine distemper can be transmitted from fomites at room temperature or at a lower point for several hours.