By: Melissa McGarity & Aly Martinez Canine distemper By: Melissa McGarity & Aly Martinez

Etiology Distemper was once thought to be caused by neglect, contaminated food, and anti-hygienic conditions, however we now know that canine distemper is a virus that is shed in body secretions. Pansystemic disease

History The first case of CDV was described in 1905 by Dr. Henri Carre. First thought to be related to the plague or Typhus (Rickettsiae) The first vaccine was developed in 1950. Despite vaccine development Canine Distemper is still very prevalent today. May have played a role in extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger.

Signalment Puppies from three to six months old are susceptible Can infect any of the canids: Dogs Wolves Foxes Others: ferrets,

Transmission An infected dog usually infects another by coughing infected respiratory secretions. The virus can be shed in most all other bodily secretions including urine. The virus enters the body via the nose or mouth and begins to replicate. Canine Distemper is NOT zoonotic as its name implies, will only infect other canines.

Clinical Signs Begin with: - Ocular and nasal discharge -Fever (usually goes unnoticed) -Poor appetite -Coughing - Pneumonia Mucosal Phase: - Vomiting - Diarrhea - Callusing of the foot pads (hard pad dz.: hyperkeratosis) Enamel hypoplasia (perinatal)

Clinical Signs Neurologic Phase: - Seizures - Tremors (myoclonus) - Imbalance - Limb weakness - Death

Diagnostic Tests/ Results Although there are tests that can confirm this disease, using a positive or negative test is not going to be accurate. While a positive result will confirm infection, a negative result does not rule it out. In most cases CDV is a “clinical diagnosis” meaning the Veterinarian must look at the whole picture. - What are the symptoms? - What is the patients history?

Inclusion Bodies Inclusion bodies are actual clumps of the virus that are visible under a microscope. Immunocytology: Test in which antibodies against distemper are tagged with fluorescent markers. Antibodies then bind to the virus if present and dye the inclusion body a glow in the dark fluorescent color. The presence of inclusion bodies confirm the diagnosis but lack of them does NOT rule it out.

Pathogenic Lesions Pathological Lesions of CDV include: Pulmonary congestion Consolidation leading to focal pneumonitis. Eosinophilic or ovoided bodies with refractile particles are sometimes located in the epithelial cells of dermis, intestinal tract, salivary glands, adrenal glands and CNS, as well as the spleen. If a necropsy were to be done you would most likely see an enlarged spleen. Bronchial Epithelium Inclusions Lung Lesion

Treatment The best treatment is the animals own immune response. There are no antiviral drugs that exist to effect canine distemper, so we treat symptomatically Antibiotics are administered for secondary bacterial infections Airway dilators are used as needed IV fluids are given for patients with diarrhea to prevent dehydration

Prognosis Canine Distemper is fatal in over 50% of adult dogs who contract the virus and over 80% of puppies (90% mortality). Death can occur between two weeks and 3 months after infection. Main cause of death is from complications to central nervous system. For patients in further stages of neurologic dysfuntion, euthanasia is usually recommended.

Prevention VACCINATE!!! VACCINATE!!! VACCINATE!!! The distemper vaccine is a modified live virus and induces immune response. Puppies should be vaccinated initially at 6-8 weeks and every 2-4 weeks after until they reach about 16 weeks of age. Yearly Boosters! Maintaining a sanitary environment is crucial in controlling an outbreak. Bleach, Roccal, etc. instantly kill the virus. Dogs with disease should be quarantined and is isolated from other patients/pets.

Short Videos Of What CDV Looks Like… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSrGz2r88dE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFWrnVIsA8Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-B1jx49SI8 PLEASE VACCINATE YOUR PETS!!!

References Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/canine_distemper Http://www.marvistavet.com/HTML/body_canine_distemper.html Http://miamiferret.org/distemper.htm Summers MS DVM, Alleice. Common Diseases of Companion Animals second edition. St.Louis, MO: Mosby, 2007. pg. 238-239