Canine distemper is a devastating viral disease causing neurological damage and death. Vaccination has largely eliminated it from vaccinated populations but outbreaks continue in unvaccinated dogs.
Distemper welfare prevention through vaccination is one of the most effective interventions in companion animal medicine. The disease causes severe, prolonged suffering across multiple body systems with high mortality and permanent neurological damage in survivors. Population vaccination that eliminated the disease from most dog populations represents a historical welfare triumph that must be maintained through continued coverage.