Distemper Virus:  Hardpad Disease, Distemper

Affected Animals:  Dogs, Ferrets, Skunks, Raccoons, and Foxes.

Information and Overview:   Impossible to cure and sometimes fatal, canine distemper is a serious viral illness that attacks a dog's body on all fronts. The disease may harden the paws and nose, damage and discolor the teeth, make breathing difficult and diminish the appetite. Even more disturbingly, canine distemper affects a dog’s nervous system, often resulting in seizures and paralysis. Dogs who do not die from this disease usually suffer later in life from recurring neurological problems, such as nervous twitches and seizures known as “Old dog distemper”. The virus is highly contagious. Afflicted dogs are usually seen as having a respiratory tract infection and can be mistaken as such. It is passed typically by aerosolization, in which droplets containing the virus are expelled into the air through the infected animal’s breath and nasal secretions. Fortunately, there is a vaccine. Until the virus is completely eradicated, however, supportive care is the only relief available to the animals that contract it.

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