What is CDV?

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) is a viral disease that affects a wide variety of animal families, including domestic and wild species of dogs, coyotes, foxes, pandas, wolves, ferrets, large cats, and a variety of other species.

Animals in the Felidae family, including many species of large cats as well as domestic cats, were long believed to be resistant to Canine Distemper, until some researchers reported the prevalence of CDV infection in large felids.

In canines, CDV affects several body systems, including gastro-intestinal and respiratory tracts and spinal cord and brain, with common symptoms that include high fever, eye inflammation and eye/nose discharge, laboured breathing and coughing, vomiting and diarrhoea, and hardening of nose and footpads. The viral infection can be accompanied by secondary bacterial infections and can present eventual serious neurological symptoms.