Can distemper in a pregnant dog infect her unborn puppies?

Vaccinated animals are at a very low risk of acquiring distemper virus and passing it on to other dogs. This is because the virus cannot live without fresh secretions; it is inactivated in minutes outside the dog's body. The infected dog typically infects other dogs via coughing infected respiratory secretions though the virus is shed in most other body secretions, including urine. A dog with distemper, even if recovered from the virus can shed the infection for up to 2-3 months so I would restrict any future contact and monitor for any abnormal clinical signs, including coughing or nasal discharge.

Puppies can be born with parvo if their mother has parvo or was never vaccinated against the disease. Parvo can be passed to a puppy through the placenta of an infected mother. Unfortunately, the prognosis is not good when puppies are born with parvo. Should any of the puppies not suckle , have bloody diarrhea, and/or vomit and/or be lethargic, they need to be seen by your veterinarian right away.

Your puppy can contract distemper by coming in contact with other dogs that are infected, objects that have been contaminated by infected dogs, or it can be transmitted by wildlife such as raccoons.

As long as Bruno is fully vaccinated, he should not be in any danger of getting distemper - even if he may have had some brief contact with an infected puppy. The vaccine for this disease is extremely effective, so I wouldn't worry :)

While canine distemper can survive in the environment for three to four months, disinfectants can be used to kill the virus. As long as your home has been thoroughly disinfected, your new puppy should be safe in your home.

Unfortunately, it takes up to 2 weeks for a vaccination to be effective, so vaccinating the exposed puppies after exposure, will not help protect them from their previous exposure, but may help protect them against future exposure. I am including more information about distemper below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952099 Since distemper is very contagious, I would not recommend having the exposed puppies around any other dogs if they are potentially contagious. You can call your local VetCo clinic to determine if they are able to accommodate the puppies in a safe manner, so that other dogs are not exposed. You can find your local location here. https://www.vetcoclinics.com/services-and-clinics/clinic-locations-and-schedules/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

You can give any puppy a vaccine as long as their temperature is normal and they are not actively sick. However, you do run the risk of vaccinating a puppy who already has been exposed, but just hasn't had a full display of symptoms yet. This is an unfortunate situation to be in. Eye mucous is not a clear sign of distemper, but instead it would entail the full scope of the disease which is lethargy, not eating, fever, upper airway infection symptoms, etc. I would suggest getting a vet involved to do a full exam on these puppies first to determine which are not healthy enough for vaccination, and then try to isolate the sick ones to hopefully help prevent the entire litter from catching it. Hopefully you can save a few of these puppies. Treatment for distemiper is costly and very rarely will result in survival. It is just a terrible disease and I hope the best for your pups as they try to get through this. Best wishes and take care.