Distemper
As distemper can spread through air, it can easily affect non immunized puppies in contact with infected animals. Distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, multi-multi symptom viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
Distemper, once was the leading cause of death in unvaccinated puppies, has dramatically been reduced due to widespread vaccination programs.
The most susceptible to infection are young unvaccinated puppies between 3 and 6 months old.
Early symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and mild eye inflammation that may only last a day or two. Symptoms become more serious and noticeable as the disease progresses. After the fever, symptoms vary considerably, depending on the strain of the virus and the dog's immunity. Most dogs that die from distemper die from neurological complications.
Two relatively minor conditions that often become chronic, even in dogs that recover are:
- Enamel hyperplasia (Un-enameled teeth that erode quickly in puppies)
- Hyperkeratosis (hardening of the foot pads and nose)
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