WHAT IS CANINE DISTEMPER?
Canine Distemper is one of the most serious deseases that a dog may get. It also is one of the most preventable.
Canine Distemper is highly contagious and potentially deadly. It causes
There are different stages of the disease, but in the beginning they are:
- Coughing
- Thick mucus in eyes and nose
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
HOW DO DOGS GET DISTEMPER?
The virus is passed from dog to dog through direct contact with an infected dog’s urine, blood, or saliva. Sneezing, coughing and sharing food and water bowls are all ways for a dog to contract the disease.
Wild animals also get distemper, so even if your dog is not around other dogs, if there is a distemper outbreak in the wildlife in your neighborhood he could possibly get it that way too.
It may be passed on to her puppies if a female dog that is infected by distemper gets pregnant.
WHAT’S IN THE DISTEMPER VACCINE?
Naturally, the vaccine contains small amounts of the live disease. That is to trigger the body to produce antibodies to the disease making him better able to fight off the disease if he should come in contact with it.
However, there are other ingredients included that make up all vaccines. They may include:
- glycerol (glycerine) to preserve the vaccine and prevent decomposition
- Aluminium
- Thimerosal
- Contaminants
- Animal Protein
Did you know that vaccines have never been tested? Not for efficacy or for safety.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS?
Some of the mild to moderate reactions are:
- Lethargy
- Hair Loss, hair color change at injection Site
- Fever
- Soreness
- Stiffness
- Refusal to eat
- Conjunctivitis
- Sneezing
- Oral ulcers
Possible severe side effects are:
- Vaccine injection site sarcomas
- Anaphylaxis
- Arthritis, polyarthritis
- HOD hypertrophy osteodystrophy
- Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
- Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia (IMTP)
- Hemolytic disease of the newborn (Neonatal Isoerythrolysis)
- Thyroiditis
- Glomerulonephritis
- Disease or enhanced disease which with the vaccine was designed to prevent
- Myocarditis
- Post vaccinal Encephalitis or polyneuritis
- Seizures
- Abortion, congenital anomalies, embryonic/fetal death, failure to conceive
WHO ARE MOST AT RISK OF CONTRACTING CANINE DISTEMPER?
All unvaccinated dogs and puppies are at risk of contracting the disease. It is often spread by rescues with unknown vaccination histories or dogs that come from pet stores.
CORE AND NON-CORE VACCINES
Core vaccinations are those that are considered vital to all canines based on a universal risk of exposure, the severity of disease, and the risk of transmission to other dogs or human beings. They are:
- Parvovirus
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Rabies
Most veterinarians recommend the DHPP vaccination which is a combination of 4 vaccinations, that consist of both core and non-core vaccines. They are:
- Distemper (core)
- Hepatitis (core)
- Parainfluenza (non-core)
- Parvovirus (core)
- May also include Lepto (non-core)
SHOULD YOUR DOG BE VACCINATED?
Yes! All puppies should be vaccinated for canine distemper. However, there are side effects you should know about and there is a danger of over-vaccinating your dog. The following is the one-size-fits-all puppy vaccine schedule recommended by most veterinarians.
The schedule recommended is:
6 – 8 weeks Distemper (core), measles (non-core), and parainfluenza (non-core)
10 – 12 weeks: DHPP distemper (core), hepatitis (core), parainfluenza (non-core), and parvovirus (core)
12 – 24 weeks: rabies (core)
14 – 16 weeks: DHPP, distemper (core), hepatitis (core), parainfluenza (non-core), and parvovirus (core)
SHOULD MY DOG CONTINUE GETTING THE ANNUAL BOOSTER FOR DISTEMPER?
This is where you as your dog’s advocate comes in. Many veterinarians now believe that vaccinations should not be a one size fits all for all dogs. See: What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines-Introduction
Once vaccinated as a puppy, most dogs retain the antibody to distemper for life. But if you don’t want your dog to be over-vaccinated OR under-vaccinated there is what is known as a titer test.
If you request a titer test from your veterinarian he or she should be willing to give one. The cost for a titer test varies, of course, but the average cost of a titer test for the distemper vaccine is $40. To $60.
Also there is a helpful tool if you must get your dog vaccinated. It is called Thuja (Pronounced “thoo’-yuh,”).
Thuja can be helpful to resolve ongoing symptoms of vaccinosis, which may result in a wide array of immediate symptoms like fatigue, muscle pain, weakness, fever, etc., following administration of a vaccine, as well as carry long term effects that may appear weeks or months after your pet is vaccinated. Long term effects of over-vaccination include skin eruptions at the vaccine site, skin and respiratory allergic symptoms, respiratory infections, digestive issues, and even arthritis.
It is not my intention to discourage you from getting your dog vaccinated or to scare you. The purpose is to make you your dog’s medical advocate. They depend on you and me to keep them safe.
Vaccines are life-saving, but it’s time to talk about over-vaccinating. I hope that with this series of posts you will feel better informed and better able to talk to your veterinarian about what is best for your individual dog rather than blindly following a one size fits all approach.
Don’t miss the first in this series: What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines – Introduction
Next in our series: What No One Tells You About Canine Vaccines — Part 3, Hepatitis