How to identify distemper in a dog and what to do first? A dangerous disease - distemper in cats: symptoms, treatment and prevention. What to feed a puppy after distemper.

Infectious diseases in animals have been known to humans since ancient times. Canine distemper in dogs exterminated domestic pets back in the days of Aristotle and the Egyptian kings, but even now this infection remains a dangerous scourge for many dog breeders. How to deal with this trouble and protect your four-legged pets from it as much as possible?

This infection constantly circulates in the outside world among wild carnivorous inhabitants, affecting a large number of species of fur-bearing animals, many of which live in forest belts near populated areas. Plague is a common disease in dogs, foxes, ferrets, sables, jackals, and wolves. It poses a terrible danger to fragile young animals and some particularly susceptible breeds of animals. , poodles and collies get sick more often, and outbred mongrels and terriers over the centuries have managed to develop relative resistance.

In any case, it is impossible to neglect measures to protect against this infection, relying on changeable luck. The causative agent of canine distemper can enter a household through the respiratory route from an infected individual or through contact of pets with water, feed, or other objects that contain the saliva of the infection carrier. Even recovering animals for up to three months spread terrible viruses through saliva, urine and other secretions.

Distemper in dogs - symptoms

Many factors influence the visual appearance of a particular animal. Signs of plague in dogs may differ from the degree of pathogenicity of the virus strain that has appeared in your area, the state of the animal’s immunity, and the parallel impact of a secondary infection on the body. There are fulminant forms of the disease, acute, subacute, typical, atypical and chronic. The generalized form, difficult to cure, manifests itself with clinical symptoms characteristic of all types of plague.

The lightning-fast course of the disease leads to the death of the pet in a short period; characteristic symptoms may not appear in this case. The acute form of canine distemper in dogs lasts a couple of days, is accompanied by high fever, refusal to eat, and usually ends in the death of the affected dog. Sometimes the disease drags on, becomes chronic, lasts for several months, periods of joyful relief alternate with exacerbations.

This form of infection of carnivorous creatures is the mildest, but is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. The affected areas of the skin become covered with blisters that form on the thighs, ears, abdominal surface of the animal, around the mouth and nose. Later, a brown or brown crust appears in place of the burst bubbles. The cutaneous form of canine distemper in dogs also has another type of symptoms, when swelling of the limbs, eyelids, skin near the nose, ears and mouth is noticed. Discharge appears on these organs, and after a while a crust forms in this place.

It is easy to detect signs of intestinal distemper in dogs; the symptoms of this disease are in many ways similar to poisons or spoiled foods. A sick pet may experience constipation and bloody diarrhea, accompanied by vomiting. The vomit contains foamy mucus with bile, yellow or white foam. Impaired digestion leads to anorexia, the animal looks depressed, refuses food, and spreads an unpleasant odor. Patients with plague develop dangerous inflammation of the liver, accompanied by a noticeable enlargement of this organ.

A couple of days after infection, blockage of the nasal passages with mucous secretions begins, this process is aggravated by swelling, redness of the skin, rhinitis, and cough. The pneumonic form of distemper in dogs is not easy to treat. Extensive purulent or catarrhal pneumonia often occurs in carnivorous pets. White or gray discharge of a thick consistency worsens the patient's condition; when it dries, it clogs the eyelids, eyes, and seals the eyelashes.

Veterinarians make the most unfavorable forecasts when they observe signs of distemper in nervous dogs. This is associated with the development of terrible complications in the form of meningitis, encephalitis, meningoencephalitis, paralysis, and epilepsy. The spinal cord and brain are gradually affected by the virus, which severely poisons the body. Symptoms of infection can be seen in strong carnivorous pets after a few weeks, but weakened animals begin to suffer almost instantly, without showing signs that signal intoxication.

An excited state along with fever, convulsions, epilepsy, and a disorder of the vestibular apparatus is observed in meningoencephalitis and encephalitis. Dogs behave inappropriately when sick, making strange movements with their heads and mouths, reminiscent of catching non-existent flies. In the morning hours, they become excited, whine, and the activity of four-legged patients is replaced by a sleepy state. Canine distemper disease in dogs is deceptive. The animal's condition is changeable, and the pet's recovery often ends with new attacks.

Canine distemper - treatment

Trying to cope with a dangerous virus on your own is a huge risk. In frequent cases, a generalized form is observed in carnivores, when a number of organs are attacked by infection, clinical signs are mixed, and treatment with an integrated approach is required. The question of whether canine distemper can be cured is resolved using a number of measures. They include a special diet, cleansing enemas, the use of medications, vitamins, and physiotherapeutic procedures.

Treatment of distemper in dogs - medications

In veterinary practice, pathogens are defeated with specific medications that fight plague, parvovirus infection, coronavirus enteritis, and adenovirus. The proven Vikatan-S, Giskan 5, and immunoglobulin are well suited. Canine distemper in nervous dogs is treated with drugs with specific properties. Magnesium sulfate with furosemide is used in therapy to reduce intracranial pressure, phenobarbital or folic acid to relieve agitation.

The most common antibiotics used for distemper in dogs are:

tetracycline,
penicillin,
streptomycin,
chloramphenicol,
sulfadimethoxine,
gentamicin.

Natural and synthetic stimulants:

Vitamin B,
cocarboxylase,
multivitamins (“Kvadevit”, “Glutamevit”)
ultraviolet irradiation,
immunomodulators (Polyoxidonium, Galavit, Vitan)
water-salt solutions of the Regidron type.

Effective solutions used to treat distemper in dogs:

methenamine 40%,
calcium gluconate 10%,
glucose 40%,
sodium chloride,
Diphenhydramine 1%,
ascorbic acid 5%,
proserin 0.05% (against paresis).

Proper nutrition plays a significant role in the treatment of this infection. In case of plague, a diet for a dog helps to recover faster and gain strength. It is recommended to offer sick carnivores chopped meat or minced meat, raw eggs a couple of times a week, kefir and cottage cheese, which is gentle on the stomach. It is necessary not to end the diet after the condition improves, but to extend it for some more period until the body becomes stronger. Motherwort is suitable for decoctions that prevent the infection from developing into a nervous form.

Canine distemper, or Carré's disease, is a deadly disease of domestic animals, characterized by terrible symptoms and equally terrible consequences, including death. To save your pet, you need to know the characteristic features of this disease, methods of treatment and prevention. In this article, the reader will receive important information that will help him recognize the infection in time and begin therapy.

Characteristic features of the disease

Plague is a very ancient viral infection, known since the times of Ancient Greece. Its causative agent is a filterable virus, characterized by a high degree of infectiousness: transmission of the pathogen occurs through the air and contact with a sick animal:

through the nose, eyes and mouth (saliva);
through the use of common water;
through sexual contact;
through animal excretions: urine and feces;
through the use of common household items among animals.

Some scientists believe that the distemper virus can be transmitted to animals from various insects.

If left untreated, distemper in dogs can end tragically

The virus is very stable and viable in the external environment. The risk of infection for everyone is higher during the transitional seasons - spring and autumn, although you can get the infection at any time. When contacting a sick dog, a healthy animal will become infected in almost 100% of cases.

Attention!

If infected, the probability of death of a pet is very high - the risk of a fatal outcome is 50%. If puppies under 12 months of age get distemper, the chance of saving their life is practically zero.

All breeds of dogs at any age are at risk and can get distemper; practice shows that the infection more often affects young individuals. Speaking of puppies, the best protection is for those born from a vaccinated mother.

The infection can occur in three forms:

acute;
hyperacute;
lightning fast.

In the first case, the entire cycle of the disease occurs in about 3 weeks and can progress to the chronic stage, which takes about 3-4 months. All this time the animal will be in an exhausted state.

The hyperacute form is characterized by an immediate deterioration in the condition of the dog, which soon falls into a coma and dies. It occurs in about 3-4 days, there is no way to save the animal: at the moment in medical practice there is not a single case of cure for this form of the disease.

In the third case, the dog dies within 24 hours.

In order to reduce the risk of death of a dog, you need to start timely treatment and be responsible towards your pet. Despite the danger of distemper, in most situations a person can save an animal.

By the way, a dog cannot get infected from a cat, because distemper is caused by different pathogens in different animal species.

Symptoms of plague

After infection, the virus begins to multiply in the latent stage: the latent form can last up to three weeks.

Attention! Although symptoms may not appear, an infected animal is a carrier of the pathogen and can pass it on to other dogs.

The owner needs to carefully monitor the behavior of his pet, because the disease can still show itself with subtle first signs:

Appetite worsens.
The mucous membranes of the animal look unhealthy and reddened.
The dog becomes surprisingly apathetic.
Unreasonable diarrhea and vomiting may occur.
The animal reacts sharply to light and spends time in the shade and dark places.
Immediately after infection, the dog’s temperature rises slightly, returning to normal after 2-3 days.

This sign of distemper - an increase in temperature - is threshold: if the animal then resumes activity without showing any signs of infection, it means that the immune system has coped with the pathogenic virus. If the adult dog's defense system is not strong enough, the symptoms will gradually progress.

As your health worsens, other symptoms appear:

depressed state;
habitual reflexes disappear;
the dog stops responding to its name;
the pet stops eating;
chills and fever;
the virus affects the central nervous system: limb spasms appear.

Types of infection and possible consequences

The infection does not affect people, but hosts can be carriers of the pathogen - this must be taken into account

The disease may differ in its symptoms and some features of its course - this depends on the focus of the pathogenic microorganism.

When the respiratory organs and respiratory tract are affected, pus is released abundantly from the dog’s mouth and nose, which can make breathing difficult - a large amount of secretions leads to blockage of the respiratory tract.

Also appears:

cough;
severe diarrhea;
dehydration;
temperature increase.

If a dog has a pathogen concentrated in the intestines, a whitish coating may appear on the tongue. Appetite disappears (but strong thirst remains), the pet may faint.
As the disease develops, blisters appear on the skin where it is not covered with hair. This is the mildest type of infection because no other symptoms may be observed.
Damage to the central nervous system is the most severe type of distemper in dogs. Characterized by the presence of seizures and paralysis of the paws. There is a risk of heart muscle paralysis, which means the death of the animal. Behavior changes - the dog becomes aggressive.

The pathogen tries to infect as many parts of the body as possible, which is why plague is characterized by the manifestation of various symptoms. And the more there are, the higher the risk to the dog’s life.

Even if the pet survives, the infection does not go away without leaving a trace. The most severe type - nervous - can lead to epilepsy in a dog.

The following complications after the disease are also characteristic:

paralysis of limbs;
meningitis;
deafness;
blindness;
destruction of tooth enamel.

Veterinarians often suggest euthanizing an animal if it is not possible to rid the animal of these consequences.

Methods for treating distemper in dogs

If you suspect your pet has distemper, you should immediately take your pet to the veterinarian to begin treatment.

Despite the high risk of death of their pet when infected with this virus, the owner cannot give up: it is necessary to use all possible methods to cure the animal.

It has been observed that with early detection of infection symptoms and immediate treatment, the dog survives and recovers health in 90% of cases. Conversely, if you ignore or do not see threatening signs during the latent period, the disease moves to the next stage, and the chances of survival rapidly decrease.

If you suspect your pet, you should immediately take it to the veterinarian to begin treatment.

Advice! In the beginning, it is recommended to visit a doctor; in the future, if you know how to give injections, therapeutic measures can be carried out at home.

How to cure a dog from distemper? The following are prescribed as therapy:

Immunostimulants – solutions for intravenous injection:

methenamine (39 percent) 2 ml;
glucose (39 percent) 4 ml;
calcium gluconate (15 percent) 2 ml;
ascorbic acid (7 percent) 4 ml;
diphenhydramine (2 percent) 1 ml;
sodium chloride 7 ml.

Serums with protective antibodies.

These substances enable the animal's immune system to resist. The composition contains antibodies from animals that had suffered from distemper and were able to recover. If the dog weighs less than 5 kg, then 2 ml of serum is injected, if more - 5 ml. But you need to remember that your pet needs to be treated with these medications at the onset of the disease - only in this case will the medications be beneficial.

Vitamin therapy.

Treatment with injections of vitamins B1, B6, B12. In difficult situations, the animal is given intravenous drips. Also, for a more effective recovery and to minimize the likelihood of complications, your pet needs to take calcium at this time.

Diet food.

A weakened body should not be overloaded with “complex” food, therefore, during therapy and recovery, your animal should be given liquid porridge, chopped meat, raw eggs and low-fat cottage cheese (no more than twice a week).

Antibiotics.

To normalize the dog's temperature, it is advisable to use antibiotics. Their use depends on the symptoms and characteristics of the infection.

Medicines are also used for:

reducing pressure inside the skull;
decreased muscle tone;
maintaining cardiac activity;
removal of sputum;
treatment of suppuration in the eyes.

Vaccination against distemper for dogs

Each owner has the opportunity to avoid such consequences, complex treatment of the infection itself and possible complications; It is recommended to get vaccinated against distemper on time.

Vaccination is carried out several times:

the first at the age of 1-2 months;
the second at 6 months;
then once a year.

The vaccination is done at an early age, because the mother’s immune system protects the puppy only in the first three months; it is during this period that the four-legged dog must be given protection. Afterwards, it is recommended to isolate the puppy from contact with possible carriers of the pathogen for about 2 weeks.

Attention! Vaccines are given exclusively to healthy animals; fleas or worms are not allowed.

Dogs easily tolerate the effects of vaccinations from Russian or foreign manufacturers. One of the most popular vaccines is polyvalent, which produces immunity to several diseases at once.

The vaccine allows the pet’s body to easily cope with the pathogenic virus. That is, a dog can get sick, but the disease is asymptomatic and without consequences: having immunity, the body can quickly cope with the microorganism.

A few important notes:

If an already infected puppy is vaccinated during the latent stage, the animal will not be able to survive.
If the baby becomes infected soon after vaccination, when immunity has not yet developed, the probability of the puppy’s death is very high.

Traditional recipes for treating the disease

This infection has been known since ancient times, and people in former times also looked for ways to treat and save their pets. Before describing traditional medicine recipes, it is necessary to remind you that self-medication of plague is strictly not recommended; before treatment, you need to undergo tests and consult a specialist.

Decoctions of the following herbs will help the animal’s body cope with the disease and better recover from it:

St. John's wort and chamomile will help remove toxins from the dog's body;
motherwort will help calm the central nervous system and prevent the development of the most dangerous nervous pathologies.

Another popular method is known - treatment of distemper in dogs with vodka is carried out according to the following recipe: mix 125 ml of vodka with one raw egg, add 15 ml of fresh honey.

Divide the resulting mixture into three portions, pour it into the animal’s mouth 3 times a day using a syringe, making sure that the pet swallows the medicine.

Treatment with vodka is effective if the disease is mild and the animal has a strong immune system.

Attention! The traditional medicine techniques described above act only as a supplement to the main treatment. Traditional therapy cannot be replaced with these prescriptions alone.

The owner bears full responsibility for the health of the pet. The dog does not understand all the possible threats to its health, so a person must monitor those with whom it comes into contact, notice changes in behavior in time and take urgent measures if doubts arise. The disease is too dangerous, you can’t rely on “it seems”, it is necessary to take the animal to an appointment with a veterinarian on time. And, again, the best remedy for distemper is to prevent it and vaccinate your pet in advance.

In this article, the reader received the most important information about the fatal disease for dogs and learned what to do if signs of distemper appear. The information will help dog breeders spot suspicious symptoms in time and carry out effective treatment.

After treatment for distemper, the puppy developed weakness, heavy breathing, the dog refuses to eat and hardly drinks water. What to do?

Answer

Hello! Distemper (canine plague) is a dangerous disease, sometimes not without consequences. Unfortunately, the form of plague is not specified; several variants of the disease are known.

Varieties of plague

Distemper (Carré's disease) is a systemic disease that usually affects the entire body with a predominant disruption of a specific system. Based on the above, a number of variations of the disease are distinguished: intestinal, pulmonary, skin and nervous. Often (up to 90% of cases) generalized plague occurs, combining several forms. An atypical form is known, the most dangerous type of the disease, leading to death.

With adequate treatment, the mild form is cutaneous. The temperature rises slightly, blisters form on the skin, formations burst and dry out, and pus accumulates under the crusts.

Pneumonic plague primarily affects the respiratory system. There is a dry cough, turning into a wet one, wheezing, discharge from the eyes and nose, wheezing, diarrhea and vomiting are possible. Intestinal plague is manifested by diarrhea, vomiting with mucus, blood, dehydration, the animal is extremely weakened, and periodically loses consciousness. The dog's appetite completely disappears, leaving a strong thirst. The color of tooth enamel changes. The enteropulmonary variety is common, including symptoms of both types of the disease.

The nervous form of canine plague has serious consequences and can be a complication of another type of disease. Symptoms: convulsions, photophobia, excitability. After nervous plague, damage to the nervous system persists: paralysis, epileptic seizures, mental changes. The pathology often ends in the death of the animal.

Consequences and complications

The consequences often remain lifelong. Depending on the form of the disease suffered, they can be severe or mediocre. As a rule, after canine distemper there are chronic diseases of the digestive system, complications in the lungs, bronchi, heart after the pulmonary form, damage to the liver and pancreas, after the nervous form - blindness, deafness, paralysis. Complications of the intestinal form - chronic colitis, enteritis. New growths appear in the oral cavity, including teeth, and the darkening of the enamel persists. Sometimes, after a seemingly complete recovery, the animal becomes ill again, with severe nervous plague. This happens when the virus is not destroyed, but continues to develop in nerve cells.

There are cases when an animal becomes additionally infected with other diseases, and the body is weakened during the plague. Dangerous diseases are possible: encephalitis, meningitis.

As for a specific pet, presumably the puppy has a digestive system disorder, possibly enteritis, and the absorption of nutrients from food is impaired. There is a chance that the untreated virus will be activated; the first three to four weeks after recovery, the pet’s condition should be closely monitored. At this time, the animals' immunity is weakened, any load or stress leads to a recurrence of the disease. At the first sign of deterioration in your puppy’s health, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible! If recovery is successful, the dog develops lifelong immunity to the disease. In the future, it is still recommended to vaccinate your dog against distemper.

Distemper in puppies

The described puppy was lucky - canine distemper is dangerous for children and often leads to death, especially lightning-fast distemper, which occurs quickly and asymptomatically. The Carré virus is extremely dangerous for unvaccinated puppies aged 1 - 1.5 months; the dogs die as a result. At a later age, if the puppy was born from a vaccinated mother and received the vaccination, and the immunity is not weakened, the outcome of the disease is expected to be favorable. In puppies, unlike in adult animals, canine distemper rarely becomes chronic.

Treatment of the consequences of plague

Be sure to take your puppy to the vet. It's difficult to give advice without seeing the animal. The doctor is able to see the symptoms missed by the owners and prescribe adequate treatment. An examination of internal organs (stomach, intestines, gallbladder, liver) is indicated in order to accurately determine the cause of the symptoms described.

To treat complications in the digestive system, a gentle diet is prescribed, consisting of nutritious, easily digestible foods: minced meat, finely chopped meat, rice broth, beef liver, cottage cheese, meat broth, eggs and milk. If there is insufficient enzyme production, dogs are given natural or artificial gastric juice before feeding. Now it is necessary to provide the animal with peace and absence of stress so that the virus does not activate during a period when the immune system is weakened.

If you contacted a veterinarian, most likely the diagnosis was made correctly. It is worth saying that at certain stages, canine distemper exhibits symptoms similar to other dangerous diseases, for example, parvovirus enteritis. It happens that viral hepatitis develops simultaneously with the plague or after recovery. Complications after plague can be caused by pathogens that enter a weakened body. It is recommended to consult a veterinarian.

Distemper in dogs (canine distemper, Carré's disease)– a dangerous contagious infectious disease that occurs in a hyperacute (fulminant), acute, subacute form. It is characterized by disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous disorders, fever, profuse diarrhea, acute catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes, conjunctivitis, and skin exanthema. Distemper is considered one of the most dangerous, insidious, widespread viral diseases. In addition to dogs, predatory animals (foxes, wolves, raccoons) and fur-bearing animals are susceptible to distemper.

Distemper poses a particular danger to young, unvaccinated dogs aged two months to a year, and small puppies with undeveloped immunity. In veterinary medicine, the following dog breeds are most susceptible to canine distemper: German shepherds, huskies, staff terriers, Chinese crested dogs, bull terriers, Pekingese dogs, lap dogs, pugs, and collies. Terriers and mongrel dogs show resistance to distemper. But it must be taken into account that breed predisposition and susceptibility have not yet been proven by scientific facts. The disease has no seasonal manifestations, so dogs can get distemper at any time of the year.

Etiology, pathogenesis, causative agent of plague

Canine distemper is caused by an RNA virus from the paramyxovirus family. The virus is resistant to external factors, sunlight, UV radiation, and sub-zero temperatures. At minus 15-20 degrees, it remains active in animal corpses for up to six to seven months. The virus is resistant to some disinfectants.

The distemper virus enters the external environment with feces, urine, nasal discharge, and feces released by recovered, infected individuals in whom the disease occurs in a latent form without showing any clinical signs. Recovered dogs release the distemper virus into the environment for 75-90 days. Virus carriers are all types of wild animals.

Infection occurs through direct and indirect contact of infected individuals with healthy individuals, through shared household items, equipment, bowls, collars, dog equipment, and combs. bedding. Infection occurs through airborne droplets and alimentary routes when dogs consume food or water contaminated with viruses.

The introduction of viruses into the body occurs through the mucous membranes, submandibular, and bronchial lymph nodes, where it multiplies. From the organs of the lymphatic system, the virus spreads through the blood and lymph flow to vital organs. Damage occurs to the organs of the respiratory, circulatory, immune, endocrine, and nervous systems.

Symptoms of distemper in dogs

Canine distemper can occur against the background of other infectious viral diseases - adenovirus, coronavirus infection, parvovirus enteritis. The intensity of the manifestation of plague depends on the resistance of the body, the degree of virulence (pathogenicity), the strain of the virus, the presence/absence of secondary infections, the presence of pathogenic factors, microorganisms in the body, the physiological characteristics of the body, and the stage of the disease. The incubation period, from the moment pathogenic bacteria enter the body until the first symptoms appear, lasts from three to five days to two to three months.

Distemper in dogs occurs at lightning speed, in acute, subacute, typical, and atypical forms. Chronic course is less common. Depending on the diagnosed clinical picture, intestinal, respiratory, skin, nervous, and abortive forms are distinguished. In dogs, in 80-96% of cases, a generalized form is diagnosed, combining the clinical manifestations of all forms.

In adult dogs with a strong, developed immune system, distemper is manifested by fever, depression of general condition, lethargy, apathy, and changes in behavior. The disease lasts from three to six days and ends with recovery.

Clinical picture of canine plague:

temperature rise to 41-42 degrees;

intoxication of the body;

purulent discharge of gray-green color from the eyes, nose, ears, mucopurulent exudate accumulates in the corners of the eyes;

refusal to eat, anorexia, sudden weight loss;

extreme thirst;

warm, dry nose, crusty appearance on the nose, unpleasant odor from the ears;

attacks of vomiting, nausea, diarrhea;

dryness, thickening, callus of the skin;

changes in the dog’s behavior – lethargy, apathy, fear of light;

cough, rhinitis, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath;

thickening of the pads on the dog's paws.

In case of exposure to exotoxins on the brain, a nervous form of plague develops, which can lead to irreversible consequences and serious damage to the central nervous system. In addition to the signs described above, there is a lack of coordination of movement, muscle spasms, convulsions, paralysis, unsteady gait, decreased/increased skin sensitivity, tonic convulsions, myelitis, paralysis of the internal sphincters. Epileptic seizures are possible. With the development of meningoencephalitis, purulent damage to the meninges, the animal dies. The nervous form of plague in most cases has an unfavorable prognosis.

In the intestinal form of distemper in dogs, disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, debilitating vomiting, profuse diarrhea, hypersalivation, disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys and liver (hepatitis), and intoxication are noted. Infected animals refuse to feed, the temperature is consistently high, and gastroenteritis develops. In case of distemper, unlike enteritis, dogs happily drink large quantities of water.

When diagnosing the respiratory, pulmonary form in sick dogs, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, rhinitis, severe nasal discharge, crusts on the nose, uveitis, photophobia, and otitis externa are noted. Dogs constantly rub their faces with their paws and sneeze. The temperature is elevated. In the initial stages, the inflammation is catarrhal in nature. With a prolonged course of the disease, the upper respiratory tract is involved in inflammation, and bronchopneumonia develops.

The mildest form of distemper in dogs is cutaneous (exanthematous), in which a small papular-pustular rash appears on the peritoneum, inner thighs, near the tail, and on the ears. Blisters filled with clear liquid and purulent exudate burst over time, dry out, and in their place brown, brown hard crusts form. An unpleasant sour smell can be clearly heard from the ears. Swelling of the paws and individual areas of the epidermis is noted.

Dogs that have suffered distemper (convalescent animals) develop lifelong immunity. But it is possible that throughout the life of such animals, hyperkeratoses, structural disturbances, darkening of tooth enamel, dyspepsia, hypersensitivity to chemical reagents, and biological factors are noted.

The atypical stage of canine distemper is most difficult to diagnose. There are no external clinical signs. A slight increase in temperature by one or half degrees is possible. Increased gluttony is noted, which is replaced by a complete refusal of food and favorite treats. After two weeks, symptoms characteristic of the nervous form are noted (seizures, convulsions, sudden changes in behavior). The death of dogs occurs on days 28-30.

Diagnosis of distemper in dogs

A veterinarian makes a diagnosis based on the obtained epizootological data for the region and visible characteristic clinical signs. They carry out differential diagnostics, a number of biochemical, laboratory, hematological tests and studies. For diagnostics use:

neutralization reaction;

immunofluorescence;

indirect hemagglutenation reaction;

biological tests for animal susceptibility.

Treatment of distemper in dogs

Therapeutic measures and treatment regimen should be prescribed only by a veterinary specialist based on the diagnostic results obtained. Self-medication can lead to disastrous consequences and cost your pet’s life. The sooner treatment is prescribed, the greater the likelihood of a complete recovery for the dog.

Veterinary specialists prescribe the choice of treatment methods individually, in each specific case. Treatment is aimed at relieving the main symptoms, maintaining immunity, and restoring the functioning of organs and systems of the body. Complex treatment depends entirely on the stage, intensity of symptoms, and form of the disease.

In the fulminant, hyperacute form of plague, the prognosis is unfavorable and often ends in death. In combined forms, obvious manifestation of symptoms - unfavorable, cautious. In all other cases, with timely access to a veterinary hospital and correctly prescribed treatment, it is favorable.

To treat dogs for distemper, depending on the pathogenesis, intensity, and degree of manifestation of symptoms, dogs are prescribed antibiotic therapy, etiotropic, replacement, pathogenetic therapy, physiotherapeutic methods, and symptomatic treatment methods. On an individual basis, animals are prescribed specific medications, the action of which is aimed at destroying pathogenic agents in the body. For treatment and prevention, monovalent and polyvalent hyperimmune serums are used.

Symptomatic treatment of plague is aimed at relieving the symptoms of the main disease and secondary diseases. In the first days after infection, taking antihistamines is effective in desensitizing the body. Sick dogs are also prescribed antipyretic, antiviral, sedatives, astringents, analgesics, sulfonamides, vitamin-mineral complexes, general and local medications, nitrofuran derivatives, expectorants, and hepatoprotectors. To treat the respiratory form, injections are used, inhalations and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. Immunosuppressants and glucocorticoids are not used to treat canine distemper.

To normalize metabolic processes and eliminate signs of intoxication, water-salt, nutrient solutions (Ringer's solution), homeopathy, and physiotherapy are used. Animals are prescribed a specially developed therapeutic diet, dietary feeding, proteolytic enzymes supporting professional ready-made “premium”, “elite” class food.

Prevention of plague

Timely vaccination will help protect your pet from contracting dangerous infectious diseases. For these purposes, complex or single vaccines are used. The first vaccination is given to puppies at the age of 1.5 months. Subsequently, animals are vaccinated annually as a preventive measure.

Dog breeders must closely monitor the condition of their pets, pay attention to hygiene procedures, adhere to the vaccination schedule established by the veterinarian, create optimal living conditions for the dog, and choose the right balanced, nutritious diet. To strengthen immunity, mineral and vitamin supplements are introduced into the diet of pets. When walking, you should limit your dog’s contact with street animals.

In the treatment of viral diseases in canines, special importance is attached to rehabilitation after a dangerous disease - plague.
The introduction of special medications in the first hours allows to minimize adverse effects, this is how the properties of antiviral drugs manifest themselves.
It is important to recognize the plague by its first symptoms.

Symptoms and signs

The first sign that something is wrong with your pet is a change in its behavior. In the first few hours of activation of the virus, the first stage of the disease begins.
The tropic plague virus selects an organ that is susceptible to its effects, which is why there are different forms and types of plague.

Symptoms of pneumonic plague

Quite often the target is: the upper respiratory tract, bronchi, nasopharynx. Very often the lungs are involved in the process.

Signs:

Eyes with viscous, copious discharge;
Runny nose, swelling of the mucous membrane, the appearance of crusts in the nose, difficulty breathing with the mouth closed;
Heat;
Cough, wheezing, shortness of breath.
The animal lies down all the time, drinks a lot, and has no appetite.

The fulminant form quickly turns the illness into pneumonia, and the pet dies within a day.

Symptoms of intestinal plague

The stomach and intestinal tract of an animal are another weak point where plague viruses rush. The intestinal form is dangerous for puppies under six months of age that have not been vaccinated against distemper. Its main features are:

Temperature increase;
Repeated vomiting, diarrhea after drinking or eating, appetite suffers;
Diarrhea with the presence of blood clots, with a disgusting odor;
Dry mucous membranes, white tongue with dents from teeth;
Loss of consciousness, collapse.

The fulminant form of intestinal plague ends in death from severe intoxication, coma, and intestinal bleeding.

Nervous plague and its symptoms

This form gives complications in the form of paralysis, deafness or visual impairment, periodic frequent epileptic seizures, clonic convulsions. The development of the disease is typical during recovery from the pulmonary or intestinal form.

Temperature increase;
Unsteadiness of gait
Head up movements;
Unmotivated aggression;
Cramps and twitching of the neck muscles;
Epileptic seizures;

The nervous form of the plague is so unpredictable and so often gives complications incompatible with life that it is impossible to make predictions. When meningoencephalitis develops, the pet dies or remains disabled.

Cutaneous plague

The mild form occurs almost unnoticed by the owner; only a general, without specific symptoms, depressed state of the dog is observed. Bubbles and spots are localized on the abdomen, the temperature rises, and dandruff is visible at the end of the disease. If the skin form is not complicated, then the prognosis is most favorable.

Symptoms

The radical and undeniable presence of differences in the diagnosis of plague with diseases with similar symptoms is sometimes minimal, the special signs are quite small:

Viral gastroenteritis differs from the plague in that the body temperature is lowered during enteritis, high readings are observed only on the first day, while the temperature during the plague is observed throughout the entire period.
The nervous form of plague sometimes resembles the picture of rabies in dogs, but with plague there is always purulent discharge; there is no process of inflammation in the upper respiratory tract with hydrophobia.

Treatment at home

If a dog has distemper, only a doctor can identify the symptoms and treatment. It is not recommended to engage in independent treatment and rehabilitation of such a complex and unpredictable disease as canine distemper. This is due not only to the fact that the diagnosis may be incorrect, but also to the recommendation of urgent administration of hyperimmune serum and interferons, which suppress the development of the virus.

Important: immunostimulants and interferons are not recommended for the manifestation of nervous phenomena!

If it is not possible to quickly contact a veterinarian, then symptomatic treatment can be offered. This means that the pet is treated to suppress the symptoms of a life-threatening disease. But maintenance therapy should be aimed at strengthening protection, so you should not get carried away with antibiotics or other drugs, they reduce immunity:

In case of plague, intravenous injections of calcium preparations are certainly prescribed to compensate for the deficiency of calcium ions, and vitamins to support internal reserves.
Antibiotics (injections only) for inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and intestines.
In case of intoxication, the animal must be fed off, giving rehydrating solutions and herbal decoctions a teaspoon every half hour.

It is not advisable to use antipyretic drugs and corticosteroids during the febrile stage of plague. High temperature suppresses the reproduction of the virus.

Medicine prices

Calcium gluconate in ampoules – 40 rubles.
Ascorbic acid – 55 rubles.
Gammavit 10 ml – 160 rubles.
Cefotaxime – 20 rubles.
Saline solution 200 ml – 45 rubles.
Regidron – 270 rubles.

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How to treat

If you have identified symptoms of distemper in a dog, only a doctor can tell you how to treat it. If the owner was able to deliver the pet to the clinic on the first day of symptoms of plague, then the prognosis for treatment is favorable. The intensity of treatment is adjusted taking into account the characteristics of age, nature, severity of symptoms, relying on instrumental studies.

There are a number of advantages of this approach:

the animal is periodically given intravenous infusions;
she is under 24-hour medical supervision;
if health deteriorates, the risk of losing the animal is much less than even with the best home treatment.

But animals often suffer greatly and are afraid to be left alone, so the decision to leave a pet in the clinic is always made by the owner.

Treatment can take place at home with a consultation from a veterinarian: the doctor comes, puts in an IV and gives injections, assesses the dog’s condition, and gives recommendations. Of course, in an emergency, the doctor may not have time to help if the dog’s condition suddenly changes.

Treatment for plague takes at least two weeks. The nervous form of plague is difficult and time-consuming to treat, but cases have been recorded in which recovery occurs spontaneously. It all depends on the individual health of the dog, its immune status and concomitant diseases.

Complications of the plague sometimes occur after a few weeks, against the background of the pet’s absolute health. Most often these are consequences of damage to the gray matter of the brain, death of neurons and the nervous system. The dog continues to have lameness and slight difficulties in the mobility of its limbs, deafness may occur, and epileptic seizures may persist. But there can be complications: if the puppy gets sick during a tooth change, then the permanent teeth become ulcerated and dark.

Complications after the nervous form of plague are, unfortunately, irreversible due to the death of brain cells. In rare cases, after some time the lost functions can be restored, but this depends more on the adaptive capabilities of the animal.

Successful treatment of a serious and insidious disease, which is considered to be canine distemper, is preferably carried out only under the supervision of a doctor. Timely diagnosis, administration of immune and antiviral drugs, and good care can prevent complications.

Causes

The causative agent of distemper in dogs is a virus belonging to the group of paramyxoviruses. A dog can become infected with the pathogen through the digestive system and respiratory organs. Having penetrated the body, the virus begins to quickly spread along with the bloodstream throughout the body and settles in almost all organs and tissues.

A sick dog excretes a dangerous pathogen in saliva, feces, urine, and mucous secretions from the eyes. The virus is also found in epithelial, dead skin cells.

In this regard, several possible sources of infection can be identified:

Sick animals. In addition to domestic dogs, these can be ferrets, hyenas, wolves, jackals, minks, and foxes.
Feeders, bedding.
Housing premises - enclosures, booths.
The virus can be carried into the home by people on shoes or clothing.

After direct infection, a latent period continues for several days, during which the virus actively multiplies in the body, but there are still no external symptoms of the disease. The incubation period lasts on average 5-7 days, but can increase to three weeks or be shortened to two days.

Kare's disease is not a seasonal disease; the virus survives well at temperatures down to minus 24 degrees. At the same time, a pattern has been identified in which a larger percentage of dogs with distemper are registered in the spring or autumn. Despite the fact that during the incubation period the dog looks absolutely healthy, it is already a source of infection.

The distemper virus can be excreted from the dog's body for several weeks after its successful recovery. The risk group includes weakened animals that do not receive adequate nutrition, puppies from one month to a year, and stray animals.

Puppies up to two months old, feeding on the milk of a mother who has suffered from the disease, have their own immunity and therefore very rarely become infected from a sick animal.

Canine distemper in dogs is caused by a virus from the paramyxovirus family (contains RNA). This pathogen is extremely close in its structure and characteristics to the virus that causes measles in its hosts. It is similar to the causative agent of plague in large (and, of course, small) livestock.

It is important to take precautions when interacting with sick or even recovered animals.

The pathogen is extremely stable. Unless it dies instantly in boiling water, so be sure to disinfect items caring for a sick pet (bowls, toys) in this way.

Even after complete recovery (when there are clinical signs of distemper in dogs), a virus remains in the blood that can cause the disease. Therefore, the animal can infect other pets. Even nasal discharge contains a dangerous microorganism. But urine and feces pose a greater danger.

Course of the disease

Canine distemper can be fulminant, acute, or a chronic disease. The fulminant course passes without obvious clinical signs of the disease, and the death of the animal occurs within one day. The hyperacute form of plague is manifested by a sharp rise in temperature and refusal to eat.

The dog falls into a coma and dies within 2-3 days. In the acute form of the disease, all the signs of plague are present - fever, lethargy, suppressed reflexes, dyspeptic disorders, photophobia. Conjunctivitis and rhinitis develop.

The chronic form of the disease can last for several months with periods of exacerbation and subsidence of the vital activity of the virus. Damage to the nervous system is considered an extremely unfavorable prognosis - when epileptic seizures, paresis and paralysis occur, in almost 90% of cases the sick dog dies.

Dogs that have suffered distemper often remain handicapped. Their hearing, smell and vision may suffer, and nervous disorders may appear. Some animals have mental disorders.

Traditional treatment

Alternative treatment methods should only be used in combination with the main treatment prescribed by a veterinarian. Decoctions of herbs - chamomile, St. John's wort - help remove toxins from the body. Motherwort decoction calms the nervous system and prevents the development of severe symptoms.