Let’s continue our discussion on canine distemper today.
Diagnosis:
Diagnosis of CDV is often challenging and is usually based on history and clinical presentation. Measuring serum or cerebral spinal fluid antibody level can aid diagnosis but vaccination can lead to false positive result. Additionally, dogs can be infected by CDV before their vaccination, even with vaccinated dogs, if their immunity are compromised or they are incompletely vaccinated, they can still be infected by naturally occurring CDV. Detection of virus or its genetic material in tissue samples such as from the brain, lung or intestinal tissues is often definitive but is not routinely done in patient alive.
Treatment:
There is no specific treatment for CDV infection and treatment is largely supportive.
• Fluid therapy and nutritional support is required until clinical improvement.
• Antibiotics might be used to treat secondary bacterial infection.
• Anticonvulsants might be used to help controlling seizures.
• Glucocorticoid might be used in dogs with central nervous system disease in the chronic phase.
Prevention:
• The virus cannot survive in the environment for long, if carried in secretions, the virus can only survive for 3 hours at room temperature. Luckily, it can easily be killed by a routine household disinfectant. Care should be taken to avoid transmission from contacting contaminated fomites.
• Dogs with gastrointestinal or respiratory signs should be isolated from other dogs to avoid aerosolisation to others.
• All puppies should be vaccinated against distemper virus starting from the age of 6 weeks. We recommend multiple boosters every 2-4 weeks with the last booster given by the age of 16 weeks old. Dogs with increased exposure risk should have their last booster at the age of 18 to 20 weeks. A booster should be repeated within a year then a booster is not needed again for a minimum of 3 years.
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