Canine Distemper

[livingwith]

I’ve always loved dogs, my mother has several dogs but I never had one of my own. My boyfriend decided to get me a puppy for Valentines Day. So he picked up a boxer/lab mix from the animal control shelter. That night I was so happy to come home to see the 8 week old puppy in a box, I named him Kobe.
That night I noticed he had diarrhea. I thought it was because he had only eaten wet dog food in the shelter. So I tried giving him dry puppy food, I went out and bought 3 different brands try...Read the full article

[Daveyo]

Hi I am Daveyo,

Let me give you a small piece of advice. Next time you get a dog from some shop or from a kennel shelter, first thing to do is have a vet CHECK THE DOG FOR DISTEMPER and make this VET do this test as your top priority.

The very best test for rapidly diagnosing ACUTE distemper is to do what is called a brush border smear of the cells of the inside lining of the bladder. These cells ALWAYS have inclusions. So, easy to collect, easy to stain (quick dip) and instantly diagnosed with inclusions in these cells which are carmine red and para nuclear.

Any medical person can tell you how to get cells from the bladder. Urinary catheter. Empty bladder flush with saline and collect some of the last saline. Spin down the saline and remove the cells. Place on slide and dry stain with diff-quick. Very common stain used by most medics or lab people who use medical microscopy. Everyone? I should hope so.

Very fast, very cheap, very accurate for Dx of distemper. If present then Distemper If negative then either kennel cough or respiratory Herpes (if that dog shows any symptoms of being sick).

If that dog is positive decision time, either get that NDV La Sorta strain or let it die. If you give the dog the NDV it will live and be cured within 12-48 hours body wise. Also >>Getting the dog from a shelter you have no way of knowing how long that dog had the disease, so best do the CSF tap on that dog too as well to be on the safe side giving the NDV into the Central Nervous System.

I will be here if you need me. In any rate make sure you know where to get NDV of the LaSorta strain before you pick up a dog from either a shop or kennel area.

If that dog comes out negative, and not sick VACCINATE THAT DOG RIGHT THEN AND THERE. DON'T WAIT. If it is sick treat for Kennel cough immediately and also treat for respiratory herpes same time.

Daveyo

[csysusan]

Mel is too late for me to know about Canine Distemper also... my littile Chubby same like your Kobe, i'm so sad.. Chubby just leave us today evening. He only 2 months old..

[Daveyo]

Explain yourself about your dog being only 2 months old. It should have been protected from distemper from the mothers antibodies. In fact the maternal antibodies do not wear out until week 10. After that it rapidly declines. That is why people need to vaccinate these puppies when they are just turning 9 weeks old. It takes 14 days for the first vaccine to kick into max gear which should be just right for such dog thus being protected.

I suspect your dog died of something else. What kind of dog was it?? I am highly suspicious of this because you said 2 months old.

Daveyo

[csysusan]

cocker spaniel mix golden retrievers

[Daveyo]

Describe please in detail to the best of your knowledge of the dogs symptoms prior to their death. How was their appearance around the eyes, or pads, or the stools? Also how were they breathing.

Daveyo

Any medical data from the vet who examined them???