Distemper in Dogs: How to Recognize and Prevent This Deadly Canine Virus

Canine distemper is a virus that can make dogs seriously sick, leading to death for some. Fortunately, it’s preventable through vaccination. This is one reason to keep your dogs up to date on all their vaccines, starting when they’re puppies.

Learn what this virus is and what it does to dogs so you can keep your canine companion safe.

What is distemper in dogs?

Distemper is a contagious and potentially fatal virus in dogs. It can cause a number of serious symptoms in dogs because it can spread quickly through the body.

The virus attacks the dog’s respiratory, digestive, and often nervous systems. It also attacks a dog’s immune system, which makes your dog more likely to get other infections. Symptoms can become severe, and a dog with distemper could die.

What causes distemper in dogs?

Distemper is caused by a virus called paramyxovirus, which is in the same family as measles. The virus is spread through airborne droplets from a dog’s nose and mouth. This means sick dogs can spread distemper to other animals when barking, coughing, or sneezing.

Shared food and water bowls can spread distemper between dogs. Other bodily fluids from an infected dog, like urine, saliva, and even feces, can also transmit distemper.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Dog vaccines: Vaccination is the best way to prevent dogs from getting distemper. Here’s the full vaccine schedule for puppies and dogs.

• Parvovirus in dogs: Parvo is another serious illness in dogs that can be prevented by vaccination. Learn about this condition and how to prevent it.

• Is your dog coughing? A number of issues can lead to canine coughing. Check out the most common reasons for a doggie cough and when to get help.

Dogs with distemper are usually contagious for 1 to 2 weeks after they develop an infection. 

Dogs can also get canine distemper if there’s an outbreak among wildlife in the area, said Zarah Hedge, DVM, MPH, the chief medical officer at San Diego Humane Society. Wild mammals — such as wolves and raccoons — can also get the distemper virus.

What are the signs of distemper in dogs?

Distemper can be tricky to diagnose because the symptoms can look like other conditions in dogs. In other words, “It’s not like a dog will have a symptom and we can immediately say it’s distemper,” Hedge said. Distemper can look a lot like parvovirus and rabies.

Common distemper symptoms

Symptoms of distemper in dogs include:

• Fever

• Runny nose

• Low energy

• Loss of appetite

• Difficulty breathing

• Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

• Coughing

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Weight loss

• Dehydration

About 8 or 9 days after a dog is infected, the disease may progress and attack the central nervous system. That can result in neurological signs, like:

• Circling

• Head tilting

• Paralysis

• Seizures

• Convulsions, including chewing motions and salivation

• Muscle twitching 

Distemper symptoms in puppies

In puppies, distemper symptoms may also include:

• Damage to their teeth

• Enlargement of their heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)

• Blister-like sores

• Thickened skin on their nose or toe pads

When should you see a vet about symptoms of distemper?

The second you start seeing any of the above symptoms in your dog, call a vet, said Sarah Bonin, DVM, a veterinarian and the medical director at Dodge City Veterinary Hospital in Denham Springs, Louisiana.

For instance, if your dog has any respiratory issues, especially as a puppy, seek immediate veterinary care. Other signs it’s time to get your dog immediate emergency care include:

• Seizures

• Weakness

• Weight loss

• Dehydration

• Blindness 

Which dogs are most at risk for distemper?

The dogs most at risk for distemper are puppies under 4 months old. But all dogs can get the virus who have no immunity to distemper from a vaccine.

“Distemper can affect any dog who doesn’t have adequate protection and immunity against it,” said Hedge, who frequently sees distemper in unvaccinated adult dogs at the shelter where she works.

How much immunity a dog has to distemper and what strain of distemper is involved will also influence your dog’s symptoms. Dogs with some immunity may have no symptoms or only mild ones. Puppies and dogs with no immunity are the ones who usually experience the most severe symptoms.

How do you treat canine distemper?

There isn’t a specific treatment for canine distemper. Dogs who get sick will receive supportive care to manage their symptoms, Hedge said. The goal is to help your dog’s body “make enough of an immune response so that they can recover from the disease,” Bonin said.

Supportive treatment for dogs with distemper may include:

• Fluid therapy

• Medications to treat vomiting or diarrhea

• Antibiotics

• Seizure medications

• Hospitalization

Can you prevent distemper in dogs?

The best way to prevent distemper in your dog is vaccination. “The distemper vaccine is probably one of the best vaccines we’ve got,” Hedge said.

Puppies should receive the distemper vaccine as part of a core vaccine (labeled DAPP, D2APP, or DHPP) when they’re 6 to 8 weeks old. The vaccine is repeated every 2 to 4 weeks until the puppy is 16 to 20 weeks old. Within the next year, they should get a booster. They’re then boosted every 3 years.

To prevent puppies and adult dogs who aren’t fully vaccinated from getting distemper, keep them away from places where dogs gather until they’re fully vaccinated, Bonin said. That includes avoiding:

• Dog parks

• Puppy classes

• Pet shops

• Day care or boarding

• Grooming facilities 

Also, keep unvaccinated dogs away from wildlife. 

Quiz: What vaccines do dogs need?

How serious is canine distemper?

Canine distemper is so serious that 1 in 2 dogs dies from it, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. And if pregnant dogs contract it, abortion and stillbirths can result, Bonin said.

Even if dogs recover from distemper, there can be long-term effects on the body, Bonin said. That might include damage to the teeth, ongoing seizures, and muscle spasms.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Karen Asp, MA, CPT

Karen Asp, MA, is an ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness trainer and certified vegan lifestyle coach and educator through Main Street Vegan Academy. She is also certified in plant-based nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Ghanasyam Bey, DVM

Ghanasyam Bey, DVM, is from Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Princeton University for undergraduate studies. After a year of biology research at Duke University, he attended Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts