Distemper

dreamons · 01-27-2012, 07:40 PM

Heard a brief blurb on the news today about stories coming up but had to leave so didn't get much info. What was said was there is a new strain of distemper across the nation with many in dogs in Arizona and elsewhere that have died and it is very deadly. Anyone know or heard anything about what to do to protect our babies?

dreamons · 01-27-2012, 08:15 PM

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Updated today at 1:09 PM

PHOENIX -- The Arizona Humane Society generally sees more cases of canine distemper in Valley pets in the spring, but this year occurrences are not only showing up earlier in several states, there also could be new strains of the potentially deadly disease. Because of that, the Arizona Humane Society is issuing a Valleywide pet health alert.
The AHS put out a similar alert last April to coincide with puppy season. More litters of puppies are born in the spring, which usually accounts for the increase in distemper cases.
This year, however, there could be more to worry about. Signs of the often-fatal disease have already shown up as far away as Florida, Ohio and Georgia.
To make matters worse, two new strains of the disease indigenous to Europe have shown up in the U.S.
The normal incubation period for distemper, which is a relative of measles, is between one and two weeks. That window for infection could be even larger with the European strains.
While distemper usually affects puppies that have not had all of their shots, the virus is showing up in older dogs with unconfirmed vaccination histories, according to the AHS.
Any unvaccinated dog can contract the virus, but puppies between 3 and 6 months old are generally the most susceptible.
The canine distemper virus is a whole-body disease. The virus is in bodily secretions and spread via inhalation. Once inhaled, the virus moves to the lymph nodes and then to the blood, spreading to the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital and central nervous systems.
While symptoms vary from dog to dog, discharge from eyes/nose, coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite, callusing of nose/foot pads, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures can often be signs of distemper. The eye discharge, which can easily be mistaken for a simple cold, is often the first sign of a potential problem.
There is no treatment or cure for distemper.

Annie714 · 01-27-2012, 10:46 PM

I just read an article the other day about some foxes they found that had died of canine distemper...in Arizona. They autopsied to find out and then captured and vaccinated I wanna say like 30 more foxes to see if they can get a handle on it. I'll have to look for that article when I get a chance.

01-27-2012, 07:40 PM	#1 (permalink)
dreamons Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Laughlin,NV Posts: 458	Distemper Heard a brief blurb on the news today about stories coming up but had to leave so didn't get much info. What was said was there is a new strain of distemper across the nation with many in dogs in Arizona and elsewhere that have died and it is very deadly. Anyone know or heard anything about what to do to protect our babies? __________________ Maggie Mae- Basset Daisy Wiggles- Basset Yogi Titus- Puggle (He thinks he's a Basset)

01-27-2012, 08:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
dreamons Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Laughlin,NV Posts: 458	Posted on January 27, 2012 at 1:07 PM Updated today at 1:09 PM PHOENIX -- The Arizona Humane Society generally sees more cases of canine distemper in Valley pets in the spring, but this year occurrences are not only showing up earlier in several states, there also could be new strains of the potentially deadly disease. Because of that, the Arizona Humane Society is issuing a Valleywide pet health alert. The AHS put out a similar alert last April to coincide with puppy season. More litters of puppies are born in the spring, which usually accounts for the increase in distemper cases. This year, however, there could be more to worry about. Signs of the often-fatal disease have already shown up as far away as Florida, Ohio and Georgia. To make matters worse, two new strains of the disease indigenous to Europe have shown up in the U.S. The normal incubation period for distemper, which is a relative of measles, is between one and two weeks. That window for infection could be even larger with the European strains. While distemper usually affects puppies that have not had all of their shots, the virus is showing up in older dogs with unconfirmed vaccination histories, according to the AHS. Any unvaccinated dog can contract the virus, but puppies between 3 and 6 months old are generally the most susceptible. The canine distemper virus is a whole-body disease. The virus is in bodily secretions and spread via inhalation. Once inhaled, the virus moves to the lymph nodes and then to the blood, spreading to the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital and central nervous systems. While symptoms vary from dog to dog, discharge from eyes/nose, coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite, callusing of nose/foot pads, vomiting, diarrhea and seizures can often be signs of distemper. The eye discharge, which can easily be mistaken for a simple cold, is often the first sign of a potential problem. There is no treatment or cure for distemper. __________________ Maggie Mae- Basset Daisy Wiggles- Basset Yogi Titus- Puggle (He thinks he's a Basset)

01-27-2012, 10:46 PM	#3 (permalink)
Annie714 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 1,164	I just read an article the other day about some foxes they found that had died of canine distemper...in Arizona. They autopsied to find out and then captured and vaccinated I wanna say like 30 more foxes to see if they can get a handle on it. I'll have to look for that article when I get a chance. __________________ Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

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