Distemper – one of the heaviest diseases of carnivores (including domestic dogs). The disease can affect a brain and nervous system, any internal body and extremities. In hard cases the animals who carried a disease remain disabled people.
What is a distemper
The distemper is an infectious viral disease to which domestic dogs and wild carnivorous, such as minks, foxes, polecats and other are susceptible. The activator is the virus of group of paramiksovirus. This disease is not transmitted to other pets and the person. At the had dog the immunity is formed. Puppies from 2-3 months to one year enter into the main risk group. It is connected with the fact that the organism of kids is weakened because of change of teeth and active growth. The puppies eating mother's milk receive protective antibodies and are less inclined to infection. All breeds without exception are subject to this disease, but thoroughbred enter into the raised risk group in comparison with mongrels. Among dog diseases the distemper is considered the most dreadful disease after rage.
Ways of infection and carriers
Infection with any of three ways is characteristic of a distemper of carnivorous: through airways (nose), digestive or acoustical devices (ears). Having got to an organism, the virus gets into blood and fabrics. The disease is transmitted at all seasons of the year, but extends in bad "dirty" weather (fall, spring) quicker. The "favorable" factors promoting a disease of a distemper are: lack of vitamins B food of a dog, catarrhal diseases, bad conditions of keeping, defective feeding.
The main sources of infection are patients and the had animals (in direct and indirect contact) infected objects of the external environment (a stern, water, air, allocations of sick animals, feeding troughs, rooms and a laying, leaving objects – everything, than used and where sick individuals contained). Besides, the person, vehicles, birds and even insects and worms can be carriers.
To the environment the virus leaves with urine, the died-off skin epithelium, a stake, with the expirations a nose, eyes and a mouth. The sick dog already before emergence of the first symptoms is capable to infect with the breath other individuals. The incubation period of a disease is 2-3 weeks, depending on a disease form. At the dog cured of a distemper the ability to infection of other animals within 2-3 months remains. Researches showed that the distemper virus completely disappears from blood in 2-3 days after emergence of the first symptoms. The disease proceeds, generally thanks to development of a secondary infection. Though the virus is not present at blood any more, but he still lives in other parts of a body, and at late stages often inflicts very serious defeats over internals. Unambiguous and effective treatment of this horrible disease does not exist. Medical procedures are directed mainly on maintenance of functions of activity of an organism, a raising of immunity and blocking of ways of spread of possible secondary infections. All manipulations with a sick animal are made proceeding from severity of his state. Despite all efforts of veterinarians, they are almost powerless before a distemper. And indicators of mortality are still high.