How to Recognize Distemper Symptoms in Dogs

Co-authored by Nicole Larocco-Skeehan

Last Updated: October 11, 2022 References

Canine distemper is a virus that affects the skin, brain, eyes, respiratory, and intestinal organs of dogs. Though it is a highly infectious disease, it is entirely preventable by vaccination. Dogs of all age are at risk, though it mostly affects puppies under the age of six months. There are ways to recognize the symptoms so you can get your dog treated.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Recognizing Acute Symptoms

1
Look for respiratory tract signs. The first symptoms usually affect the respiratory tract. Your dog may sneeze, cough, or have thick mucus in his nose.^{[1]
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- Your dog may have labored breathing if the infection is in his chest. Oftentimes, the dog will develop inflamed and infected nasal passages, which causes snotty nasal discharge.^{[2]
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  Diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of common infectious disease in the dog. Greene. Vet Q 1}^{[3]
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  Small Animal Internal Medicine. Nelson & Couto. Publisher: Mosby}
- Dogs with poor immune systems may develop pneumonia soon after becoming infected.^{[4]
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When a dog has distemper, her eyes usually have a thick mucus around them. This could look like a gummy, sticky discharge. Eyes with mucus and a snotty nose in a dog not vaccinated more than likely points to distemper.^{[5]
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Distemper can be accompanied by a fever. The fever is usually extremely high (over 103.5 °F or 39.7 °C).^{[6]
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Research source} The fever tends to make most dogs lethargic, listless, and lacking in energy, so the dog may be reluctant to go for walks or prefer to sleep and rest.
4
Look for a lack of appetite. Dogs with distemper may stop eating. This may be caused by the fever or because they feel unwell. They also may stop drinking, which can cause dehydration.^{[7]
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- Dogs may suddenly start vomiting or have diarrhea shortly after becoming infected. This can also lead to dehydration.^{[8]
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5
Check the dog's pads. Distemper can cause abnormalities to the pads of the dog's feet, like enlargement or thickening.^{[9]
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Research source} This may cause him to walk strangely or avoid walking, running, or standing. This is a late stage development, so be alert for other signs first.
- Be careful when you examine. The pads may be tender and he may snap at you because of the discomfort.
- You may notice pad abnormalities weeks or even months after becoming infected.
6
Look at your puppy's teeth. For puppies who have not received their adult teeth, distemper can affect their permanent teeth. The adult teeth can be weak or misshapen because the enamel doesn't form.^{[11]
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Research source} This can also cause discolored teeth.
- This is also a symptom that may arise in the later stages of distemper.
In more severe cases, or in later stages of the disease, the virus can attack the dog's bodily systems, especially the nervous system. This can lead to seizures, fits, hysteria, and paralysis.^{[12]
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Know that some symptoms may overlap with other conditions. Many of the symptoms are nonspecific, which means that other conditions apart from distemper can cause similar signs. Usually dogs with distemper are extremely ill. If you are unsure, take your dog to the vet immediately.^{[14]
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Small Animal Internal Medicine. Nelson & Couto. Publisher: Mosby}
- If you see any of these symptoms and you did not vaccinate your dog, see the vet immediately.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Canine Distemper

1
Vaccinate your dog. One of the most commons ways a dog gets distemper is through exposure to the virus without having an immunity to it. This means that both unvaccinated puppies and unvaccinated older dogs are at risk for the disease.^{[14]
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- Some dogs have a natural immunity to the disease, but you should not rely on that.^{[16]
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  Diagnosis, therapy, and prevention of common infectious disease in the dog. Greene. Vet Q 1}
- Vaccinating helps keep your dog from getting distemper. If the dog contracts the disease, she could die or have lasting neurological or retinal damage.^{[16]
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2
Keep your dog away from infected fluids. Distemper can be spread through contact with contaminated fluids, like urine, blood, mucus, or saliva. This can happen through physical exposure or contaminated food and water bowls. The disease can also be spread through sneezing or coughing.
- Try to separate your dog from infected animals.^{[17]
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  Research source} In very young dogs, keep them away from any areas likely to exposure, like kennels.
Keeping your dog's kennel or home area disinfected can help get rid of the virus. This is especially important if your dog interacts with other dogs at public places, like pet stores, parks, or kennels.^{[18]
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4
Know how distemper is treated. No medication will cure distemper. Instead, dogs are cured through supportive care. Dogs are given antibiotics to fight secondary infections and fluids to help with dehydration.^{[19]
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- If the dog recovers, an unfortunate late development can be seizures because of the virus in the dog's brain. Some dogs may recover but develop an old dog encephalopathy in later life, which means they develop a form of dementia brought on by long term low grade inflammation in the brain.
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