Dogs with colds are not necessarily canine distemper. Canine distemper is a common infectious disease that can be transmitted through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and feces. Dogs will have neurological symptoms or digestive tract symptoms. At present, it can be prevented through vaccination. After owners take their dogs to be vaccinated regularly, infections will rarely occur. Therefore, colds in dogs are not necessarily caused by canine distemper, but may also be caused by changes in weather.

What are the symptoms of canine distemper:

1. Canine distemper mainly presents symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection, such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose, and canine canthus. There are inflammatory secretions, etc. Usually, dogs infected with canine distemper will have symptoms of rising body temperature and high fever. The body temperature can usually reach 39.5℃ to 40.5℃. As the disease progresses, most dogs will develop some neurological symptoms, and their mental state and appetite will continue to decline, and they may even stop eating or drinking.

2. In the middle and late stages, some dogs’ footpads will become keratinized, excessively thickened, blackened, and cracked. Mild neurological symptoms that appear in the mid-term may worsen and turn into severe epileptic-like symptoms of foaming at the mouth and incessant convulsions. Individual cases of canine distemper may also have gastrointestinal symptoms. Therefore, once infected with canine distemper, the mortality rate is very high.