Canine Distemper

[girlx]

as i mentioned before on here i have some puppies who had a bad "cold". i wasn't sure whether it was distemper or kennel cough, but now i am realizing it is distemper, which is bad news. i treated both puppies with doxycycline for a week and they seemed to improve, but then i had to leave for a week to go to bangkok. in that week they became sick again. one puppy has resumed coughing/gluey eyes. in addition she has blistered lips, a horrible skin condition i think might be demodectic mange, and she is very skinny and weak. her foot pads and nose have become very hard, indicating distemper. every morning i am surprised to find her still alive. she lays on me and just whimpers like a baby. i have been able to get her to eat, but not much, and i just started her back on a new antibiotic called roxithromycin (or something like that) since that was all the pharmacy near me had. i also give her calcium and b vitamin supplements. the other puppy still has a deep cough, but otherwise has lots of energy, is putting on weight, and seems ok- except that now she has started having small seizures. they are the sort that make her look like she is chewing gum and are especially bad when she lays down to sleep- involuntary head jerks. it is horrible to see, because it means the distemper has infected her brain. i am also giving her the antibiotic and supplements because of her cough.

my question is, does anyone have any idea of the prognosis for these two? would it be better to put them to sleep than to let the neurological symptoms progress? any advice on how i can manage their treatment? i can not take care of them for long, as i do plan to leave and go travelling to south america in a couple of months. i would like to get them into a stable position, but am not sure if it is possible, or if anyone would take care of them after i left.

[elfe]

sad...

all i can suggest that you put both back on doxy and high doses of vitamin b complex. also treat the skin with amitraz and the eyes with eye drops etc. their immunesystem is down so they are prone for all kind of disesases. vitamin c is very good too. hope they can still get better, but the 'chewing' will remain i think. for the seizures phenobarbital helps, it has to be prescribed by a vet or doctor though. my vet here told me of a dog he is treating since years which has the chewing symptom but otherwise can still live a normal life - with lots of care and proper medication. which i think cannot be provided to your dogs if you are travelling now and then... if it gets worse please don't let them suffer more.

[Night]

Lost a 12 week old dog to distemper recently too. heart breaking to see them lose their moor function and ability to eat.

There is a test like a pregnany test a pee test for dogs available from animal hospital for 300 baht called a cdv test. it will tell you for sure if it is distemper. usually the eyes have little red blood dots around them and nasal discharge and eye discharge.

no cure and something like 80 mortality rate and vacination is only safe option from something like 8 weeks or older. i bought my puppy with distemper already so couldn't do anything.

vacinate vacinate vacinate and do it all together and not let the vet do it one by one every flipping week for 2 months as it's just a trick for money.

my dog died peacefully anyway and it got so much love in her short life.

[November Rain]

girlx,

This will probably make me really unpopular, but I would say, if your vet will do it, put them to sleep. Depends how many other dogs you have that could be affected, but if you have a few, it's not worth risking them. We had a distemper outbreak last Christmas & I had to put 9 pups to sleep to stop it spreading to another 40. If all other dogs are fully vaccinated then your call, obviously.

Dogs do recover from distemper, obviously, sometimes, but far more die a painful death. Just my opinion, but whatever you decide, my best wishes are with you & your dogs.

[girlx]

yes my vet has suggested we put them to sleep tomorrow as well. i hate to do it but i don't have much choice otherwise as my neighbors are already getting fed up with all the dogs coming to my house and i can't take care of them all. luckily my one real dog is perfectly healthy, she had all her shots. i did give these guys shots too but too late. too much suffering of dogs in thailand, i am going to have to learn to ignore them like the thais do.