DISTEMPER IN DOGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 118, 4 June 1937, Page 11

DISTEMPER IN DOGS

Effective Treatments Described

MR. BRODIE'S ADDRESS • Distempeir has accounted for many New Zealand dogs, and dog men will be interested in the very satisfactory results attending the experinxent of immunlsation with the use of serum virus carried out by Mr. A. M. Brodie, veterinarian, at Hastings. In his lecture to the sheepfarmers at Massey College, Mx. Brodie said he wasg confident that distemper would in a short time . he effectively coped with. Mr. Brbdie urged the ueed of proper housing as . a mbans of guarding against the disease he- ■ coming more widespread. Distemper was described by Mr, Brodie as "a prostrating, contagious and innoculable disease peculiar to the dog and probably to some other carnivorous animals, running a variable, prolonged course with or without fever." Authorities were unanimous that the disease was not communicated to the domestie cat. "It is uncertain whether the contagious element gains an enthance by natural infection or by ingestion/' said the speaker. "Probably the latter is the commonsense mode. Smearing the nasal discharge of an early case of distemper on the nostrils of a sueceptible dog is the surest means of experimentally contamiuating the animal, but of course this is not a natqral niethod. To show how active the virus is one has only to realise that two or three drops ot the fluid in the heart sac after death from rapid distemper injected under the skin of a puppy may cause death within six or seven days." The -seasons and conditions of the weather, said Mr. Brodie, played a very important part in the incidence of the disease, 95 per cent. of the cases arising in wet weather. Housing in damp, draughty places, railway travelling, insufficient or improper food, the irrational administration of purgatives and worm medicines, early weaning and sexual excitement were also predisposing cause, s. "The early stage of distemper is rarely recognised by the veterinarian, who usually see§ the case only wlien secondard or lertiary infections have begun to manifest themselves/' said Mr. Brodie. "The so-called acute niialighant outbreaks in dogs overexerting themselves during wet or chilly weather are due to the lowered resistance set up by exertion during the earlier stage when no catarrhal or lung trouble has had time to manifest itself." Symptoms of Oisoaso. Dealiug with llie question of symptoius, Mr. Brodie said that while the disease usually takes from two to four weeks to run its course, everything depends upon the nature of the complications as to how long a time will eiapse before the dog can be considered better. At the stai't there is usually lack of interest in its surroundings on the part of the dog for a day or two. Food is refused or taken half-heartedly, nose becomes hot and the dog is' depressed. In a few days there is a vellowish-green discharge from the eyes and nose, which is very virulent, sneezing and coughing are common and the respiration is hurried and slightly laboured. Often the dog has inflaxnr mation of the stomach, this being shown by the animal drinking large quantities of water, which is vomited almost immediately. Diarrhoea may set in, and when this complication is present worms may be expelled spontaneously, and the owner is tempted to give worm medicine, which action is often followed by death. Then there are the brain cases manifested by excitement, restlessness or even fits. Paraiysis may follow the fits. On the subject of general treatment, Mr. Brodie said that the sick animal should be isolated in a warm, dry, wellventilated building free from draughts. A free supply of drinking water should be supplied unless stomach troubles are present. Dieting is of great .importance, the food being such as is easily digested. ' ' As this disease has and is still causing great mortality among dogs," said the speaker, "great efforts have been raade by veterinary research workers throughout the world to discover somo method of vaccinating dogs so as tq protect them against distemper, and veterinarians have now at . their command a method of inoculating dogs which gives g'ood results." The Two Treatments, Describing the vacciite virus treatment, M[r Brodie said: "The dog is given two injections of vaccine with an intervai of about three weeks between them, and about ten days after the second dose of vaccine he is injected with virus, three injections in all spread over a period of about five weeks. This method has proved highly i successful in other countries, and the experimenting trial made by Professor W eb ster at Massey Oollege under the auspices of the North Island Sheep ] Dog Trial Association Was an outstand- : ing success ; in fact, 100 per cent. successful." 1 The dog receives an injection of ! virus, and after an intervai of one hour or thereabouts is given an injection of anti-serum, said Mr Brodie, when dealing with the serum virus method. There were objections to this method, but the advantages outweighed them. The prineipal objection was that the dog might go down with an acute" attack of distemper, whereas the advantages were: (a) Inoculation of the dog, is eompleted in an hour or two instead of being spread over foui or five weeks, and only one visit by the veterinarian " is necessary instead of

three. (b) The inoculated dog can immediately be exposed to infection with very little danger. (c) Dogs in the incubation stage can be safely injected. In such cases the dose of virusi would be reduced or even withheld. (d) Dogs in country districts could safely be bought to depots if this iuethod were to be used. In conclusion Mr Brodie said tliat the treatment he had just described was definitely eflicaoious, up to 80 per cent. i'or New Zealand purposes. However, it needed the skill and judgment of a qualified veterinarian. He had carried out a successful trial ,with 50 sheep dogs, and a further trial with a similar number of dogs was . now being organised. "I am prepared to say that in my opinion-(it is Only a matter of a short time before distemper will be effectively coped with," he said.