Distemper Vaccine for Dogs and Cats: What You Need to Know

If you’re like many pet owners, you’re wondering if your dog or cat needs a distemper vaccine.  Read on to find out everything you need to know about cat and dog distemper and the available vaccines.

At first glance it would appear that canine and feline distemper is the dog and cat versions of the same disease, but – despite their similar names – that is not the case.

Canine distemper and feline distemper are two completely separate conditions, caused by entirely different viral agents.  And while dogs, foxes, coyotes, ferret, and wolves are susceptible to canine distemper and cats, lynxes, and bobcats can suffer from feline distemper, other animals such as raccoons, minxes, skunks, and otters can potentially catch either disease.

The distemper vaccine is a vaccination that protects your pet against the distemper virus.

Most vaccinations are applied by way of an injection under the animal’s skin.  The distemper vaccine works by introducing a tiny amount of infectious organisms into the dog or cat’s immune system, which then fights the foreign bodies.

This teaches the pet’s immune system to identify these particular organisms and to respond quickly in future.

Feline distemper is a virus that targets very young kittens, pregnant females, and cats with unusually weak immune systems.  The virus attacks the intestinal tract’s blood cells, along with stem cells, and the cat’s bone marrow.  Feline distemper can lead to anemia and paves the way for other bacterial or viral infections.

The feline distemper vaccine can be administered to a kitten as young as 6 weeks old and is often repeatedly given until the kitten is 16 weeks old, and then at regular intervals during their adult life.

As the name suggests, the feline distemper vaccine goes a long way towards protecting the cat from contracting feline distemper, along with other diseases including feline leukemia, calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus.

Canine distemper is an extremely contagious viral disease that is similar to the measles virus in humans.  The virus targets young unvaccinated puppies and older dogs with weak immune systems.

There is no cure for canine distemper, however, there is an extremely effective canine distemper vaccine with antibodies which can protect a dog or puppy from contracting the virus.

The canine distemper vaccine is typically given in the form of the DHPP vaccination, which protects a dog from parainfluenza, parvovirus, hepatitis, and distemper at the same time.

The distemper parvo vaccine is one of many names for a combination vaccine that protects your pet from a multitude of viruses and diseases within one injection.

The exact makeup of the combination vaccine of the distemper parvo vaccine will vary depending on the age and breed of your dog and the preferences of your veterinarian, but the most common canine diseases to feature in the distemper parvo vaccine are parvo influenza, canine parvovirus, canine adenovirus, and canine distemper.

For dogs, the vaccine may be abbreviated as DA2PPV, DA2PP, DHPP, DHPPV, or similar.

All vaccinations carry potential side effects, yet the distemper vaccine is thought to be one of the milder, least controversial animal vaccinations available.  Distemper vaccine side effects in dogs can include:

Possible side effects of the feline distemper vaccine include:

In both dogs and cats, the vaccine for distemper is ideally first given between 6 and 8 weeks of age, with 2 further boosters given every 3 weeks.

From there, the animal should be vaccinated every year, or every 3 years – but only if the animal has a known vaccination history and has been vaccinated regularly.

The cost of administering a vaccine for canine or feline distemper can vary depending on where the vaccination is given.  Veterinarians charge between $20 and $40 per vaccine.

Distemper vaccines can also be administered at home, but this is only recommended for people who understand how to administer vaccinations to animals, and the clinical signs of adverse reactions and side effects to look out for afterwards.

The home administered distemper vaccine can cost as low as $5 each.

Both canine distemper and feline distemper, while separate and unrelated conditions, both have a high mortality rate.  Some of the most common animals infection conditions, in line with Lyme disease in dogs, purevax ferret distemper, infectious tracheobronchitis, kennel cough, rabies, and canine adenovirus, distemper is contagious and can be potentially life-threatening.

Vaccinations for both conditions are readily available and considered to be some of the most effective and least controversial animal vaccinations available.