[LossofSadie]

I lost my puppy Sadie about 6 weeks ago to this horrible disease. My vet told me to clean and disinfect the house witch I did. He also told me to wait at least a month to get another dog. I went to a different shelter to get a dog this time and got a 3 month old puppy. Now I m worried that she might be sick because she did not eat all her food this morning. I hope I am overreacting but I am nervous. She is not an overly energetic puppy

[Daveyo]

How long did you have this puppy???? Any vaccinations shot yet. It should have at least 2 vaccinations shots by now.

Tell me the breed and how the stools are looking. Feel the ears and if it feel hot take a temp reading. If you see anything higher than 102 and if it hit near 106, the dog probably has Distemper. If it is 102 or less then something else. Watch closely OK. Monitor that temp for the next 3 days. Distemper fevers come and go. It does not last like a flu does. They will burn for 2-4 hours and then the temp will go down for a spell and then back up. When they run the fever they will have labor breathing or breathing very fast like they ran a mile etc. This usually will be for about 3 days and the hours vary. After that no more fever and it begins its work. This is considered the onset of the disease or beginning point.

Since you previously had this problem, I suggest you strongly to find that NDV right now. Back yourself up now just in case if the test I gave you below confirms it. If you have it, you can do this inside the 6 day window and prevent it from getting to the CNS. After day 6 it will breach the CNS. Regardless the issue of pneumonia, distemper always brings on Pneumonia. So if you get this stopped inside the 6 day window, you have to treat for Pneumonia, for 7 days with Baytril and Penicilin G twice a day etc. After that your out of the woods. and the dog will be immuned for life against distemper. If after day 6 you have to do the CSF tap to prevent CNS damage without delay. The longer you delay this, the more damage will occur. What the virus does in the CNS is it triggers the deadly C4 T cells to attack all the good nerves especially to destroy the myelin and Schwaan cells. Understand. Just like a electric wire. It has insulation to cover the wire. The virus will have the T cells strip off this insulation rendering the commands signals to go haywire causing a short. At the same time it is also doing this to the neurons in the brain area.

This disease is as nasty as it gets. OK


So right now do find someone to do a test to confirm Here is how to do it >
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 can have your answer in about 30 minutes. Does not take that long. If the medical person sees the virus cells, then its confirmed. Then you do that NDV body injection immediately into the blood vein. If not there, no distemper. Then you can relax. This test has nothing to do with antibodies at all. It is mainly virus.

Daveyo

Write back and give me your report.

[LossofSadie]

Tosay I have had the new puppy for 4 days I know she has at least had one set of shots. We went to the vet yesterday and they told me her white blood cells were elevated and gave her a shot of steroids. Her ears feel fine her stool is normal but she at some point had that heavy brathing going on yesterday. She is active in jolts like most puppies and the padding on her feet look ok. Once again this morning she did not eat. Her temp yesterday was 104 and was given a steroid and I was told it was a bacterial infection. I will source out the info you provided me below. I just can not imagine having to go through this disease again. Thank you for the information

[Daveyo]

Did you say temp is 104????? You have Distemper. Why is this VET giving steroids?????? This has nothing to do for a disease.

One shot of vaccination is not enough.

Oh brother

Do that brush border smear test pronto. Do it now and find out for sure. You can have your answer in 30 minutes from that test. It is 100% accurate.

Listen to me or your going to go thru this ordeal all over again, and in the meantime FIND THAT NDV as quick as you can if that test is confirmed.

Your still inside that window for another 3 more days.

Be quick about this OK

Daveyo

keep posting here or at my site.

I am watching both sides now.