distemper

distemper, in veterinary medicine, highly contagious, catarrhal, often fatal disease of dogs. It also affects wolves, foxes, mink, raccoons, and ferrets. Distemper is caused by a filtrable virus that is airborne; it is also spread by infected utensils, brushes, and clothing. Symptoms are high fever, apathy, and lack of appetite with resulting dehydration and loss of weight. The respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts become involved, and there is vomiting and diarrhea. A dog may recover from the above signs and then develop nervous complications, i.e., convulsions, localized muscular twitches, weakness, and paralysis. Distemper in dogs can be controlled by immunizing each animal as early as possible with a modified live-virus vaccine.

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distemper

Viral disease in two forms, canine and feline. Canine distemper is acute and highly contagious, affecting dogs, foxes, wolves, mink, raccoons, and ferrets. Most untreated cases are fatal. Infected animals are best treated with prompt injections of serum globulins; secondary infections are warded off by antibiotics. Immunity can be conferred by vaccination. Feline distemper causes a severe drop in the number of the infected cat's white blood cells. It rarely lasts more than a week, but the mortality rate is high. Vaccines offer effective immunity.