Our vet david grant works his animal magic

Q

MY SIX-YEAR-OLD crossbreed dog has had a vaccination booster for canine distemper. Our vet says the disease is rare but a booster is important. What do you think?

A

CANINE distemper is a horrible disease. Initially the dog will have runny eyes and nose, as well as a nasty cough that resists treatment.

Pneumonia is common and this can be fatal. Even if dogs survive the initial stages, neurological complications such as fits and muscle twitching frequently occur several months later. These can be debilitating and don’t respond to treatment. I agree that a booster is important.

In the 1970s I saw hundreds of cases of canine distemper. At the time there were large numbers of unvaccinated dogs, especially abandoned ones. After a nationwide campaign, many more dogs received distemper vaccinations.

Generally speaking if you can achieve at least 70 per cent vaccination in a group, it will result in a rapid decline in the disease.

From being a common problem 50 years ago, distemper is now rare. So prevention is much better than cure.

David Grant MBE was a vet at the RSPCA Harmsworth Hospital for Animals. Write to him at Express Yourself, 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN. He is unable to enter into individual correspondence.