The south Los Angeles region was recently hit with an outbreak
of canine distemper. Evidently, infected dogs began arriving at
shelters late last month and a large number died from this very
contagious infection. Some local shelters closed their doors
temporarily in order to disinfect their premises.
The south Los Angeles region was recently hit with an outbreak of canine distemper. Evidently, infected dogs began arriving at shelters late last month and a large number died from this very contagious infection. Some local shelters closed their doors temporarily in order to disinfect their premises.
Outbreaks like this one are not very common, but they still occur simply because distemper virus continues to survive in the dog population.
Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease of dogs and other members of the Canidae family (fox, coyote, etc.). It also infects skunks and ferrets as well as raccoons. The virus causes severe multisystemic symptoms … high fever, gastrointestinal upset and neurological disease. Many victims develop seizures before dying. The mortality rate is very high.
We hardly hear any talk about distemper any more. Outbreaks of the disease seem like a thing of the past … that is, until an event such as this one comes along. Vaccination programs used by veterinarians and most adoption agencies are nearly 100 percent effective in preventing infection. Well-vaccinated dogs just don’t get infected, even if they are exposed to distemper. None of the sick or dying dogs in Los Angeles had been vaccinated properly.
But this virus and many others (such as canine parvovirus) survive in the wild population of dogs and other susceptible critters. So occasional outbreaks can occur, and episodes like the one in Southern California are no real surprise. This can happen anywhere.
South Valley had a small “epidemic” of canine distemper some 20 years ago, and even then, the so-called “outbreak” was limited to just a few dogs at a local shelter. During this time, a client came to us with his newly adopted 6-week-old puppy. It was a Christmas gift he had received from his wife. The pup quickly developed advanced symptoms and tests confirmed he had distemper. Even with aggressive treatment, we were unable to save the little guy.
Sadly enough, a week later, the same man brought in his sick 9-year-old dog that hadn’t been vaccinated since he was a puppy. This healthy adult dog had contracted distemper from that sickly shelter pup. Within a week, the 9-year-old developed seizures and died. Had he been vaccinated, this double tragedy would not have occurred.
There’s a very simple, yet important message here. If you own a dog, be absolutely sure he or she is current on vaccinations. This is the only way to be sure your dog won’t become infected by this deadly disease.
Q: We have a new whippet puppy that just arrived from a breeder in Oregon. He’s had one of his puppy shots already. How many more does he need? Someone told me three shots are necessary, but I always thought that only two were needed. Suggestions?
A: Here’s a rule-of-thumb for puppy vaccinations. Most veterinarians vaccinate puppies (and kittens) starting at about 6 to 8 weeks of age. Booster vaccines are given at three- to five-week intervals until the puppy reaches 16 weeks or 4 months. This last injection is the most important, because at this age, a young dog has the immune ability to be fully protected for an entire year. Younger pups cannot sustain a mature immune response for a complete year.
So the answer to your question depends on how old your pup is, and it also depends on when he was last vaccinated (how many weeks ago) by the breeder. It sounds as though he will need anywhere from two to three more injections (some breeders start giving vaccines as early as 4-5 weeks of age).
All puppies need protection from distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and a few other diseases. Besides all this, you will want to protect your little guy from heartworm disease. Talk to your veterinarian about what she or he recommends for him. And have fun with your new family addition.
Pete Keesling is a veterinarian at San Martin Veterinary Hospital and co-hosts Petpourri, a weekly show about pet health on KTEH in San Jose and a bi-weekly column for The Times. If you have any questions about pet care, please mail them to The Times, Attn: Vets, 30 E. Third St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037.
