As previously mentioned Distemper is a viral disease that is very similar to the virus measles that is spread in humans. It is classed as a morbillivirus and can be fatal if it isn't treated fast. Vaccinations are now widely used to control the spread of the disease, however in some parts of the world including Finland the disease is a massive killer of dogs and puppies due to a lack of immunization schedules.

Distemper in dogs is highly infectious and is spread through dog to dog contact. This makes it much more likely to occur in dogs and puppies that are housed in shelters or rescue homes mainly due to the constant close contact that dogs and puppies have in this environment.

The disease is spread via respiratory secretions which will occur when your dog or puppy coughs. The disease (virus) does not survive for very long in the environment so it is quite easy to kill with a strong household detergent or disinfectant which you can either purchase from your pet store or speak to your vet about.

Prevention...

The disease is easily prevented through a comprehensive puppy vaccination schedule. By having your puppy vaccinated from an early age will stop the distemper symptoms from occurring in the first place.

Your vet will administer vaccinations so that your puppy is immunized at the age of six to eight weeks of age. The vaccinations will continue every two to four weeks until your puppy has reached the age of fourteen to sixteen weeks of age.

After your puppy has reached one year of age then the vet will give your puppy a booster vaccination and then again every one up to three years.


To help diagnose the disease the vet will look at the symptoms that your dog or puppy is exhibiting. The vet will do a physical examination before taking blood tests. The blood tests will determine whether your pooch has a massive decrease in the white blood cells. Your vet will also look at whether your dog or puppy has viral cells also present in the body - and this will help to determine whether the disease is present.