[Jean7216]

I have just been devistated by the loss of my new puppy. I received my puppy two weeks tomorrow. He was a 12 week old Yorkie. When I got him he had a little eye goop and a coughing hack. I thought he might have had a little cold. Within the first day I noticed he wouldn't drink any water, although he was eating really well. By early the next morning I noticed he was acting a little lathargic and seemed to be on fire. I was sure he had a fever. I called the vet that morning and took him in. They checked his temperature and said it was fine, but that he had a respiratory infection and put him on something like amoxicillin. The following morning there was no improvement and he seemed dehydrated so I took him back in and they admitted him overnight with fluids. The next day they said he was eating and running around his cage and seemed fine so they sent him home. I still didn't feel he was doing well. I still couldn't get him to really eat or drink and home and was giving him water with a syringe. So once again I took him back to the vet. There was a different vet on call and he decided to do blood work and found the medicine he was on wasn't working and his white blood cell count was skyrocketing. At that time, they diagnosed him with Pneumonia. They put him on a stronger medicine called clavamox(?) As the week wore on he seemed to be feeling a little better and was finally drinking and eating on his own, although he was still very lathargic and seemed very week. By the weekend he still seemed the same however, by midday I noticed he seemed very disoriented and dizzy and didn't/couldn't walk very well. By that evening he seemed better and was running around my kitchen and outside and seemed the best I had seen him yet. When we got up the next morning, I put him outside to go potty and he was acting the same way and running around outside. When I brought him back in, I gave him his medicine and I headed off to work (with him). By lunch I took him home and I realized he had slept most of the morning and didn't really get up and moved at all most of the late morning. I picked him up off of his bed and he was limp like a noodle. I sat him on the floor in the sitting position and he just fell over on his side. I freaked out and immediatly took him to the vet. They quickly admitted him and the vet at that time said he thought he may have distemper We asked if he could test for him for it and he told us that the only test he could do was a spinal tap and that it was too dangerous. He said he would put him on fluids and stronger antibiotics and watch him for 24 hours and if he didn't improve, I would have to decide the following day to put him down. Needless to say, my baby didn't make it through the night.

At this time, our vet didn't know of any kind of testing available and I had to call around and ask others and push our vet to order different testings. One test was a conjunctival scrapping (an eye swab?) has already come back negitive and we are currently waiting on a PRC test, which they say is more sensitive and more accurate. I'm also trying to find out why he didn't notice the signs of possible distember sooner?

My questions are: Should our vet had known sooner? Shouldn't he have known of the different testing options available? Could we have saved my baby? Do you think this was distemper or related to his medicine or possibly something else. Now that he is gone, how do I clean up and prepare for a new puppy in the future? Do I discard everything from the first puppy or just clean them really well? We feel we are in a catch 22 with our breeder. The agreement our breeder has with us is that we must prove the puppy had distemper in order for us to get another puppy without paying again, and if he did have distemper is it safe to get another one from the same breeder, but from a new litter?

I'm apologize for the long story, but I want others to know what we went through and to possibly save other puppies by owners reading this and maybe recognizing signs in their puppies before it's too late. Also, ALWAYS get a second opinion about symptoms, treatments, testing, etc. Also, I really need my questions answered. I am very sad and lost and can't believe this has happened. Please help me. Thanks!

In loving memory of Milo

[Daveyo]

Sorry about the loss of your dog. My condolences.'

Most VETS today have a very hard time diagnosing Distemper because they don't understand the disease very well. Also very little training as well.

Many VETS do not have the proper tools needed to test for this disease. I have posted the one test that is accurate 100% and you can find out in 30 minutes. This is the only test I trust the most that gives accurate results without fail.

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.

You mentioned the WBC was skyrocketing. Strange because Distemper brings down the WBC as well as Parvo. Both diseases attack the bone marrow.

yes you could have saved your dog if the VET knew what they were doing, so hard for me to tell you if your dog had the disease or not.

First wait a month, get rid of the old toys, use bleach of a 1/30 solution 1 bottle good for a 5 gallon pail, and clean the floors and do your laundry. Any furniture the dog was on, put in sunlight, as sunlight kills the virus as well.

You go tell that breeder to go jump in the lake and demand that they give you another dog and that you will first have the dog completely tested first for Distemper and then for Parvo and then for any kennel cough or respiratory herpes. If the dog passes medically, then you will not bother them and that they have honored their contract, and if not tell them you will sue them for giving you a sick dog in the first place causing you undue emotional and financial strain period. At 12 weeks old that dog should have had already its second shot of vaccinations. If they did not vaccinate the dog, its their fault.

Up to you to choose from the same breeder or find another one or go to a dog place that sells animals and is certified and licensed to sell.

At 8 weeks of age that dog should have its first vaccination shot. Then wait 18 days and the second shot is due and then wait another 18 days and then the third and final shot. After that the dog will need its booster 1 year later and then once every 3 years.

Daveyo

[Jean7216]

Thank you so much for the information. I just have a couple more questions.

I read a couple of your posts regarding getting the dog wet or bathing the dog. Can you explain that a little more. I had given my puppy two baths during the two weeks I had him and now I'm wondering if I made him worse? He had long hair and he had gotten very weak and was having diarrea, he had got it all stuck in his hair so I gave him a bath to clean him up.

Also, my vet mentioned a spinal tap when I had taken him in. At that time, my puppy was almost in a paralysis state and the vet said it was too dangerous because he was too little (1lb 12oz) and that one little mistake could have killed him. What is you suggestion on this test on little toy breeds?

I have been reading quite a few of the postings and have found them very informative and helpful. Everything I have read sounds almost exactly what my puppy had and went through, except for the high WBC. Do you think more was going on? Although it is a little late for me, I'm hoping I will now know what to look for when/if I get another puppy. So I just want to thank you. Please keep responding.

[Daveyo]

Greetings

To answer your questions

In giving your dog a bath, as long as it was with a wet towel and done quickly you have to be sure it was fully dried and only do the area that needed attention the most. It would be OK as long as it was a brief wet down and quick dry down.

Wet hair on dogs who are sick especially with Distemper will accelerate Pneumonia. Just keep that in mind. The same applies to humans when sick with the flu and have lung congestion. One has to be very careful to be sure to stay dry in these kind of situations.

On toy breeds of course they weigh very little. The vet could have still done the tap if he was experienced enough but if he in doubt to do such it is based on his ability to do so. Yes he is correct that one little mistake can kill the animal if that needle hits the cord. He has to be right in between the cord and inside the spinal wall to do the injection and there is not much space or room between the two factors. That is why it must enter sideways at a specific angle and also to clear that spinal vertebrae parallel to the cord. Very touchy indeed. The needle must be on top in line with the spinal cord before attempting to insert that needle. NEVER SIDEWAYS.

Well the high WBC indicates the dogs defenses was still good. A reading of like 14 to 17 is considered OK with 17 being excellent for immune response defense. If the reading was say under 10 then it is considered getting weak and starting to fail due to the disease of which means the bone marrow is under attack. Example Parvo will attack the bone marrow of a dog and it will drop the reading below 4 or less, indicating a very serious situation and also exposing the animal wide open to bacteria and virus attack which can kill the animal at a record speed.

It is better to be well informed and know what is going on and what is out there that can affect your animal, and most people do not realize the danger until it hits them right smack in the face. At that time it becomes a desperate situation.

This is one of the reasons why Dr. Sears and I started our site posting all the available information and showing pictures of the same so people can see what animal diseases look like and also what some of these diseases can do to humans as well. It is not all cut and dry and it has a lot of variations that come into play. We also posted the latest medical protocols for the VETS to use to save your dog and it is a proven and authentic medical procedure albiet it not being found yet in the medical journals since all this just started to fall into place in November of 2007. That is the birth month of the full cure against Distemper that was discovered by sheer luck. We only had a partial up to that time and that was the body part of the animal. Now we have the full complete cure, which also involves the CNS.

Hope my information is of some help to you. I will be around

Daveyo