Another of the vaccinations that Camp Bow Wow requires is against Distemper. So what is this disease we’re trying to prevent?
The Distemper virus is related to the virus causing measles in humans, and it occurs in animals like raccoons and ferrets as well as dogs. Puppies are most at risk because they haven’t built up any immunity, but adult dogs can still be susceptible.
The virus is passed through taking in infected bodily secretions, like breathing air that is carrying infected dogs’ lung fluids, or sniffing/licking infected urine or feces. On the positive side, a dog can only be infected through direct contact with an infected dog, or with an infected bodily substance that is less than 30 minutes old. On the negative, the virus uses the dog’s immune system to spread itself—within 24 hours it can spread to the lungs; within 6 days to major internal organs; within 8 days to the nervous system and skin.
The virus has two distinct stages. It can take 10 to 14 days for the virus to show itself, but distemper begins with the “mucosal stage.” This stage attacks the mucous membranes and the respiratory tract. Those symptoms include gummy yellow discharge from the nose and eyes, coughing, pneumonia, a fever, and poor appetite. Later in the mucosal stage, it also causes vomiting, diarrhea, and calluses on the foot pads and nose.
After 1 to 3 weeks, the virus can go into the “neurological phase.” The dog might progress quickly into the neurological phase and be visibly ill, but the virus might also lurk in the nervous system before it strikes a dog that looks like it has grown healthy. This phase may lead to seizures—either of the convulsive variety (characterized by a jaw-snapping “chewing gum” motion), or the less-visible type including limb-tremors, weakness, and general balance problems. From this point, dogs may recover or they may get worse until they die. However, some dogs live out their lives with the tics, seizures, or balance problems they gained at this stage of the disease.
Distemper is a dangerous disease partly because it is so very hard to pin down and root out. Different dogs show different symptoms in different degrees of severity, and those symptoms could be signs of other diseases. Dogs’ immune systems can beat the virus at completely different points in the infection, but the virus can hide in the nervous system without being beaten. Also, a “negative” result on a test doesn’t guarantee the disease is gone. Because of this, the virus can stay undetected in a dog’s nervous system for weeks after the pup appears to be well. Even if the disease is diagnosed and treated, medical treatment doesn’t really cure Distemper. It just helps a dog survive long enough for its immune system to beat the virus, if it can. If a dog is able to survive the disease, it will be communicable or “shed” the virus in all of its bodily secretions for several weeks.
This is why it’s important for owners to take steps if a dog is going to be exposed to other Distemper-susceptible animals. It’s also why Camp Bow Wow asks that all campers be vaccinated against this dangerous virus before coming to doggie daycare or overnight boarding.
References
Canine Disemper. Animal Healthcare Center.
Canine Distemper. Mar Vista Animal Medical Center.
Canine Disemper Virus. Vet Info Center.
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