[midnite]

Hi Daveyo, my Vet told me today that my siberian husky (age 1 year and a half) has caught a distemper from my sister dog who had just died from distemper earlier today. They were put together for a night without me knowing that my sister dog was suffering from distemper
The sign my dog had shown up to now is just some eye discharge (greenish color). everything elses is still fine, he has not shown any other symptoms yet. (it has been 2 days since the first contact were made between my dog and the infectious dog) he stills eat and drink as per normal and still running about.
The problem i am having is that i am located in a small town in Indonesia and the VET in here is equiped with a very minimum tools. He had already given my dog some disinfectant and an antibiotics which goes by the name Cefat. what else can I do for him to survive, since if he is really caught the distemper i think he is still in the early stages. can you please tell me what to do.

He was immuned when he was still a puppies once and was just immuned again in May 2008.

and one more question, i had 2 other small dogs in my home now, i had put them in my room ever since my siberian husky was brought home yesterday (after knowing that he had been in contact with an infectious distemper dog). my 2 small dogs had not been in contact with my husky since then. is there a possibility that my 2 dogs will get infected as well ??? and how to prevent them from having it?

Just about 2 hours ago, I moved my husky to an empty place in my office to prevent any further danger of virus transmition to my 2 small dogs.

Please let me know as soon as possible, i really want my dog to be cured. thank you

[Daveyo]

Hi midnite I am Daveyo

Ok first right now you need to find is a Vet hospital at the nearest University. They have to do the test on your dog as instructed here. I understand your VET has bare minimum tools to do his job. Not good for the time being.

Here is the test the VET Hospital at the University needs to do immediately and they can tell you the answer in about 30 minutes either positive or negative.

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 or Toxoplasmosis.

Next I need to know about the other two dogs and if they were vaccinated and protected. Smart move to isolate them from the Husky but all it takes is a small contact with an infected dog and the virus starts. This disease is airborne and contact type virus.

Next feel the ears of your dog and if hot to the touch, take a temperature reading of a Thermometer into the anus of the dog. If that dog has a higher reading of 102 degrees plus the dog has a fever especially if it starts to hit the 104 range or higher. Respiratory Herpes and Kennel Cough rarely has a fever. Only Distemper will.

Next you need to weigh your dog right now the husky and mark down the weight. After this go find the following at any agriculture Poultry store or at the agriculture department nearest you or ask any chicken farmer where you can find the NewCastles Disease Virus Vaccine, or contact the government and they will help you there and ask for>

NewCastles Disease Virus Vaccine of the LaSorta Strain.

The prescription is based on the weight of your dog. 0.1cc for every pound or 0.45kg. Understand. For a 10 pound dog this is 1.0cc of NDV or 4.5kg. If between add another 0.1cc. NDV comes with a diliuent (sterile solution). Once you have the weight determined, then take out the required amount of the solution and insert it to the NDV vial. Shake it a bit and then withdraw all its contents. Then go to the dog, shave off the hair at the blood vein portion of the front leg just above the paw wrist and below the elbow. Once you can see the vein, take a rubber strap and tie it on the thigh above the thigh bone. The vein should swell up. Then take the syringe with needle and insert the needle into the blood vein sideways and then draw back the plunger a bit to see if you get blood inside the syringe. If you see this, then inject to the dog and before your finishing the injection release the rubber strap to allow the blood to flow freely. Once done then sterilize the puncture and your done.

The cure takes 24 hours.

This will stop the virus in the body completely and especially if you get this done inside the 6 day window. The 6 day window begins when the dog has the fever. OK The fever is the beginning mark. If you get inside the 6 day window your dog will be spared of having the virus breaching the spinal barrier and it will live normally and be fine.

Next then you need to treat for Pneumonia. It always accompanies Distemper. Baytril of 0.5cc mixed with Penicillin G of 1.0cc inject into the muscle at the rear. Twice a day every 12 hours for a total of 7 days. This will stop pneumonia and then your out of the woods if inside the 6 day window.

If outside the 6 day window do the above and also the pneumonia treatment. After the pneumonia treatment is finished wait 4 days and then you have to do the NDV-CSF tap. The prescription for the CSF tap is based on the SIZE OF YOUR DOG, and not the weight. Understand. Yes, you have to inject NDV manually into the spine. DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. YOU NEED TO HAVE A QUALIFIED VET THAT KNOWS CSF TAPS AND IS EXPERIENCED IN CSF TAPS TO DO THIS.

The VET hospital at the University can do this procedure for you. You need to get the instructions at my site at [moderator note: website address has been removed] and register there and then go to Canine Distemper and then go to CSF TAP Medical Protocol procedure and print it out and give it to the VET at the hospital University.

So while you get the NDV make sure you get the body amount covered and get 1 more vial to cover the CSF (CNS) done. CSF stands for Cerebral Spinal Fluid, and CNS stands for Central Nervous System. Both are the same and this is the spine of the dog.

Also in the meantime provide me the situation on the other two dogs. If not vaccinated they too will get the disease. Let me know

Daveyo

[midnite]

Dear Daveyo,

I have good news for you, I finally get hold of the VET in Jakarta, and they gave me the tools to test for the distemper, and I had the Vet in my town to do it for me today, and the result is NEGATIVE.

I am still isolating him from my other dogs and keep monitoring his condition just in case he didnt do it corectly. I had him force feeding for this past days as well as keeping him warm. His condition is still as usual, he is still very much active, and there is no eyes' discharge and there has been no fever present up to now.

As for the other 2 dogs, they had their vaccine every year, and the last vaccine they had is on May this year. There are no sign of distemper present till now.

Thank you for all the info, I will keep it in mind and give your post to the VET in my town, hope it can help other dogs who caught the distemper virus and saves them. and I will keep you posted for the condition of my huskies.

Once again thank you, all your info in this forum had help me to understand what should I do in the situation.

Regards
yurike

[Daveyo]

Good for you. Now you need to concentrate on the something else. Respiratory herpes or kennel cough. Antibiotics should take care of the problem. Monitor your dogs carefully and pay attention to the breathing of your dog especially, and check the pads of your dog for a spell say for next 3 weeks. Just to be sure because distemper will cause the pads to harden up like wood. If you see this happening then this confirms definite distemper, and you will need to take evasive action in getting the NDV.

OK

In the meantime lets hope for the best and the dog gets by the next 3 weeks with flying colors..

Daveyo

[midnite]

Thanks, I will keep you posted about him, and of course I will check for Respiratory herpes or kennel cough on him.

Regards
yurike

[Daveyo]

no problem, I will still be around my friend.


Daveyo

[Sinaga]

Hi, Yurike! I'm also in Indonesia. Bali to be exact. Just today my Vet willing to do the CSF tap. So if you live anywhere in Bali and looking for a vet who already done the procedure, i can help you. Many thanx to Daveyo!!!!