Canine Distemper Virus, CDV, commonly known as distemper, is a virus that attacks the dogs nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system. It is known to be contagious through airborne exposure as well as sharing water and food bowls. A dog sick with distemper can spread the virus for months if untreated. Puppies younger than 16 weeks, and older unvaccinated dogs have an increased risk of getting the disease. Early signs of distemper in dogs include discharge from the eyes, fever, coughing, vomiting and lethargy. Later signs typically involve twitches, tilting and drooling. Distemper can be fatal, and dogs that survive experience permanent damage to the nervous system. There is no cure for distemper; we can only treat the symptoms.
Distemper Vaccine can be given in a single combination shot with other core puppy vaccines such as Parvo and Adenovirus. There are over 50 licensed distemper vaccines available, however, only one is an isolated distemper vaccine, meaning it only produces immunity to distemper. There is a specific time period when puppies must be vaccinated due to the natural immunity passed on by the mother. If a vaccine is given before 6-8 weeks, there is a high chance the mothers passed on immunity will neutralize the vaccine, making your pup unprotected. Meaning existing antibodies from the mother remain dominant and the vaccine doesn’t stimulate the puppy’s own immune response. Once the pup is given its first shot after 8 weeks, we see there is still some neutralizing from maternal immunity. That is why puppy’s are often given successive boosters within a time period. To ensure they catch a window when the mother’s antibodies have subsided so the puppy can gain immunity from the vaccine. It’s recommended to get two more doses at 12 and 16 weeks.
Dog’s immune systems are growing and changing to fight infections on their own, leading to fluctuating levels of antibodies. Typically domesticated dogs get revaccinated for distemper at one year old which allows the immune system to develop and create a stronger protection. When dogs have more developed immune systems and are given a modified live vaccine (MLV) such as Distemper, it can create a life-long immunity. A modified live vaccine provides longer immunity because the virus itself has not been killed; although it’s been altered so the mechanism for infection is disabled. The vaccine is commonly recommended for administration at three year intervals, however, with recent studies and data we are seeing an immunity for five to seven years. This is why we recommended getting a titer test prior to revaccination.
A titer test, “Rapid test ELISA kits or lateral flow assay,” is a blood test that tests the levels of antibodies present in the dog’s blood. This allows you and your Veterinarian to determine if revaccination is necessary at that time in order to avoid adverse side effects from over-vaccination.
