Distemper Dog (1 Viewer)

[Jan Strnad]

My wife and I foster dogs for a rescue agency. The agency pulls them from the animal shelter (i.e. death row) and we take them in while the agency finds an adoptive family. Often the dogs need some kind of medical care.

One pair of little mutts came in severely malnourished, just skin and bones, and seemed to have kennel cough, which is basically a cold. We thought we had to fatten them up and that would be that.

Unfortunately, it turned out that they had distemper, a particularly nasty virus, incurable and 50% fatal (and 100% preventable with a standard vaccination, which these dogs' moronic owner never got them). Vets will typically put a distemper dog to sleep, since even the dogs who recover often suffer permanent neurological damage, and those who don't make it die a horrible death.

The first dog, Rayne, died. From the time she showed symptoms to perishing, it was a little more than a week. Then the other dog, Sunny, began to show symptoms. A week later she was lying in bed, unable to stand, unable to raise her head, not eating, not drinking. I was ready to put her down.

Instead, we force fed her and gave her sub-cutaneous injections of fluids, and she turned the corner. Now she's healthy and happy--currently romping through the house with another foster dog--and ready for adoption.

Here's a pic I shot of her this morning:



Sometimes good things happen!

Jan

 

[Julian Reville]

Congratulations! You have done a very good thing.



Not always. Canine distemper is very difficult to diagnose positively, antemortem; just no good lab tests. Clinical signs are usually used, and some cases are diagnosed incorrectly. I usually don't recommend euthanasia unless neurologic signs are present (chewing gum seizures are common). Other sequelae: dental enamel lesions and hard pad.

Again, you done good!!!

 

[MarkHastings]

AMEN!

 

[StephenA]

Good job on the dog. She looks happy in the picture. Hopefully someone will adopt her.