Distemper Vaccine:
DHPP for dogs
FVRCP for cats
What is distemper?(the D)
Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic dogs and other animals such as ferrets, skunks and raccoons. It is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, multisystemic viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
How is the disease spread?
The disease is spread mainly by direct contact between a susceptible dog and a dog showing symptoms. Coughing and sneezing can spread the virus over short distances.
What are the clinical signs?
As with all infectious diseases, clinical signs can vary. The main clinical signs are diarrhea, vomiting, a thick yellow discharge from the eyes and nose, cough and eventually seizures and neurological signs. Dogs that recover from the disease are often left with persistent nervous muscle twitches (chorea) and recurrent seizures.
How common is distemper?
Canine distemper is seen worldwide but because of the widespread use of successful vaccines, it is much less common than it was in the 1970’s. It is still seen in populations where vaccination rates are low and in stray dogs. The virus may persist in recovered carrier dogs and in wildlife such as skunks and raccoons. It is essential to keep vaccinating our dog population to prevent canine distemper from returning as a major killer of dogs.
Hepititis (the H)
Hepatitis infects a wide range of tissues, including the liver, kidneys,spleen and lungs.Dogs infected typically develop a fever and abnormal bleeding, and experience loss of white blood cells, which are a key component of the immune system.
Death, chronic hepatitis or severe illness may occur, and recovery may be gradual in nonfatal cases.
Parvo Virus in included in most distemper vaccines (the P)
Parvo is a contagious viral desease usually causes severe diarrhea and vomiting in dogs of all ages but is especially deadly in puppies.
Parainfluenze (the other P)
This Viral respitory disease is often partly responsible for "kennel Cough" in dogs. Infection can be severe in young dogs. Parainfluenze protection is often included in Distemper-Parvo vaccines.
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