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distemper
mange
rabies
population control
DISTEMPER
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This disease is caused by a virus. It is extremely
contagious to dogs and cats and is carried by
foxes,
raccoons, skunks. mink, opossums, bobcats, etc.
There are two kinds of distemper virus, one in-
infecting cats only and the other infecting dogs only.
The wild canines (fox and coyote) carry only the dis
temper virus that infects dogs.
The wild felines such
as bobcats carry only the distemper virus that infects
cats.
However, raccoons, skunks and mink are susceptible to and carry both the feline and canine distemper virus.
The canine distemper virus affects the host
animal's nervous system, usuallv resulting in convulsions,
frothing at the mouth, and death over a period
of several weeks.
Distemper is a long and drawn out
cruel way to die.
The feline distemper virus affects the bone marrow
where red and white blood cells are produced
and
also the lining of the digestive system.
Just as with mange, the infected animals usually
contract secondary bacterial infections of several
types
and their eyes ooze pus and they often die of
secondary bacterial infections such as pneumonia.
This disease is almost 100 percent fatal in both wild
animals and dogs and cats.
Distemper, just like
mange, is a long and drawn out cruel way to die,
and
is only prevalent
when wild animal populations reach
high levels.
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 In this picture you see a raccoon infected with canine distemper.
You can see by looking at this raccoon what a
terrible disease this is.
back to mother nature main page
Credit to Robert Wendt, D.V.M.,
and photographers of the
Conservation
Education Division
and the Pathology and Rabies Control Section
of the Delmar Wildlife Laboratory.
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