Distemper, otherwise known as hard pad disease, is a virus of the family paramyxoviridae that affects dogs as well as other carnivores, such as ferrets, foxes and badgers. Cases in foxes and badgers have been diagnosed in Canton Vaud over the last two months. This condition cannot be passed to human beings. The incubation period of distemper is 3 to 7 days.

A dog infected with canine distemper will spread the virus through aerosol droplets and through contact with infected bodily fluids, including nasal and ocular secretions, faeces and urine, and this as from 7 days after exposure.

The only effective prevention against canine distemper is to vaccinate your dog yearly against the disease. An appropriate vaccination protocole is paramount in order to provide a sufficient production of antibodies and a long lasting protection against the disease. It is important that your puppy gets a booster injection at around 4 months of age. Before four months old, maternal antibodies will still be present in your puppy’s blood and will interfere with the vaccination.

The course of primary vaccination is followed by a yearly booster vaccination.

It is also possible to check the dog’s antibody titer with a simple blood test.

Check that your dog is up to date with his vaccination. This prevention is especially important as no treatment can control the infection. If an unvaccinated dog is infected by the virus, treatment will only alleviate the symptoms, not clear the infection.

Symptoms are extremely variable and include high fever, lethargy, eye inflammation, ocular and nasal discharge, sore throat, laboured breathing, coughing, vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, hardening of nose and footpads and neurological symptoms.

This condition is often fatal. Some dogs recover but are at risk of severe neurological sequelae.

Prevention is key : get your dog vaccinated and never miss a booster vaccination !

Get in touch with our veterinary centre in Lausanne or Ecublens to know if your dog is protected against this devastating condition.