FORMS OF CANINE DISTEMPER

THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT FORMS-

PULMONARY FORM

•  A coryza like syndrome is characterized by oculonasal discharge, pharyngitis and bronchitis are seen.
• Bronchopneumonia is seen.
• The pneumonic condition may persist for long time.

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GASTROINTESTINAL FORM

• Characterized by loss of appetite, vomition and abdominal pain.
• Semisolid faeces and foul smelling.
• Faeces may contain blood.
• Hemorrhagic enteritis seen in young puppies.

OCULAR FORM

• Manifested as swollen eye lids, conjunctivitis and purulent discharge from eyes.
• Ulceration of cornea and transient keratitis may also located.

NERVOUS FORM

• Characterized by restlessness, excitement, chewing movement, excessive salivation and convulsion.
• Lymphopaenia is the distinct feature of distemper but this may not occur in dogs with delayed encephalitis.
• A condition known as “old dog encephalitis” characterized by mental disorders, motor deterioration and death as clinical features.
• The nervous form may be characterized by jerky movements of group of muscles.
• The muscular spasms may be observed in the lips, cheeks, jaws, head, neck or limb muscles.

CUTANEOUS FORM

• There is appearance of rash, vesicles and pustules on the body of the affected dog especially on the ventral aspect of the abdomen and on the inner parts of the thigh.
• In some cases the skin of the foot pads and nose may become hard due to hyperkeratitis and the condition is ascribed as hardpad disease.

                                                           

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