Leesha'sMum
Boxer Booster
Poor little guy. I do hope that he is feeling better. Lots of healing vibes and hope for a speedy recovery.
Please Help! Medical Situation...
- Thread starter BrindleTyson
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I'm very glad you got him to a vet quickly - distemper is often fatal, especially in such a young puppy, and he certainly didn't sound as though he was in good shape. In the initial stages, distemper is sometimes mis-diagnosed as KC. If that is indeed what he has, and he's been in contact with any other dogs, you should contact their owners if at all possible. Distemper is infectious and affects dogs of all ages (though most frequently puppies). I'm sure your vet will give you more information if that's the diagnosis, but here's a short article that can help you out a bit in the meantime: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1556&articleid=419
BrindleTyson
Boxer Pal
Well Bad News Everyone.. I picked up the lil guy and he has been diagnosed with DISTEMPER. I have no idea what to do. I have heard horror stories of this disease. What can i do?? I have heard that puppies of this age do not pull through and if they do, they usually have life long problems. Is there anyone out there that can recommend anything. I have no clue what can be done.
BrindleTyson
Boxer Pal
Thank You Lots
Clover's Mom
Super Boxer
Did your vet not give you any information on what do to for distemper. If not go to a new vet and tell them the diagnosis. I did a search online - but other's might have a better idea. Good luck. Clover and I are sending healing boxer vibes and lots of slobbery boxer kisses.
Treatment
Since there’s no cure for distemper, treatment is supportive.
Provide a clean, warm, draft-free environment.
Keep eyes and nose clear of discharge.
Give antiemetics (anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs) if there is vomiting.
Give antidiarrheals for diarrhea.
Monitor closely for dehydration. Dogs without an appetite that are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea may require intravenous rehydration therapy.
Antibiotics or bronchodilators are prescribed for pneumonia.
Anticonvulsants may partially control seizures. Many veterinarians prescribe them before seizures start.
Myoclonus is untreatable (and irreversible).
Puppies who recover but have hypoplasia (unenameled teeth that erode quickly) can have the enamel restored to prevent further tooth decay.
Glucocorticoid therapy can sometimes help blindness due to optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve). This may help in the short term, but glucocorticoids weaken the immune system and may make symptoms worse.
Overview
Canine distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, multisystemic viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
Incidence
Canine distemper occurs worldwide, and once was the leading cause of death in unvaccinated puppies. Widespread vaccination programs have dramatically reduced its incidence.
CDV occurs among domestic dogs and many other carnivores, including raccoons, skunks, and foxes. CDV is fairly common in wildlife. The development of a vaccine in the early 1960s led to a dramatic reduction in the number of infected domestic dogs. It tends to occur now only as sporadic outbreaks.
Young puppies between 3 and 6 months old are most susceptible to infection and disease and are more likely to die than infected adults. Nonimmunized older dogs are also highly susceptible to infection and disease. Nonimmunized dogs that have contact with other nonimmunized dogs or with wild carnivores have a greater risk of developing canine distemper.
Transmission
Infected dogs shed the virus through bodily secretions and excretions, especially respiratory secretions. The primary mode of transmission is airborne viral particles that dogs breathe in. Dogs in recovery may continue to shed the virus for several weeks after symptoms disappear, but they no longer shed the virus once they are fully recovered.
It is possible for humans to contract an asymptomatic (subclinical) CDV infection. Anyone who’s been immunized against measles (a related virus) is protected against CDV as well.
Symptoms
Macrophages (cells that ingest foreign disease-carrying organisms, like viruses and bacteria) carry the inhaled virus to nearby lymph nodes where it begins replicating (reproducing). It spreads rapidly through the lymphatic tissue and infects all the lymphoid organs within 2 to 5 days. By days six to nine, the virus spreads to the blood (viremia). It then spreads to the surface epithelium (cell lining) of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and central nervous systems, where it begins doing the damage that causes the symptoms.
Early symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and mild eye inflammation that may only last a day or two. Symptoms become more serious and noticeable as the disease progresses.
The initial symptom is fever (103ºF to 106ºF), which usually peaks 3 to 6 days after infection. The fever often goes unnoticed and may peak again a few days later. Dogs may experience eye and nose discharge, depression, and loss of appetite (anorexia). After the fever, symptoms vary considerably, depending on the strain of the virus and the dog’s immunity.
Many dogs experience gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, such as:
Conjunctivitis (discharge from the eye)
Diarrhea
Fever (usually present but unnoticed)
Pneumonia (cough, labored breathing)
Rhinitis (runny nose)
Vomiting
These symptoms are often exacerbated by secondary bacterial infections. Dogs almost always develop encephalomyelitis (an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), the symptoms of which are variable and progressive. Most dogs that die from distemper, die from neurological complications such as the following:
Ataxia (muscle incoordination)
Depression
Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as pain or touch)
Myoclonus (muscle twitching or spasm), which can become disabling
Paralysis
Paresis (partial or incomplete paralysis)
Progressive deterioration of mental abilities
Progressive deterioration of motor skills
Seizures that can affect any part of the body (One type of seizure that affects the head, and is unique to distemper, is sometimes referred to as a “chewing gum fit” because the dog appears to be chewing gum.)
Many dogs experience symptoms of the eye:
Inflammation of the eye (either keratoconjunctivitis, inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva, or chorioretinitis, inflammation of the choroid and retina)
Lesions on the retina (the innermost layer of the eye)
Optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve which leads to blindness)
Two relatively minor conditions that often become chronic, even in dogs that recover are:
Enamel hypoplasia (unenameled teeth that erode quickly in puppies whose permanent teeth haven’t erupted yet - the virus kills all the cells that make teeth enamel)
Hyperkeratosis (hardening of the foot pads and nose)
In utero infection of fetuses is rare, but can happen. This can lead to spontaneous abortion, persistent infection in newborn puppies, or the birth of normal looking puppies that rapidly develop symptoms and die within 4 to 6 weeks.
Treatment
Since there’s no cure for distemper, treatment is supportive.
Provide a clean, warm, draft-free environment.
Keep eyes and nose clear of discharge.
Give antiemetics (anti-nausea and anti-vomiting drugs) if there is vomiting.
Give antidiarrheals for diarrhea.
Monitor closely for dehydration. Dogs without an appetite that are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea may require intravenous rehydration therapy.
Antibiotics or bronchodilators are prescribed for pneumonia.
Anticonvulsants may partially control seizures. Many veterinarians prescribe them before seizures start.
Myoclonus is untreatable (and irreversible).
Puppies who recover but have hypoplasia (unenameled teeth that erode quickly) can have the enamel restored to prevent further tooth decay.
Glucocorticoid therapy can sometimes help blindness due to optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve). This may help in the short term, but glucocorticoids weaken the immune system and may make symptoms worse.
Overview
Canine distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, multisystemic viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
Incidence
Canine distemper occurs worldwide, and once was the leading cause of death in unvaccinated puppies. Widespread vaccination programs have dramatically reduced its incidence.
CDV occurs among domestic dogs and many other carnivores, including raccoons, skunks, and foxes. CDV is fairly common in wildlife. The development of a vaccine in the early 1960s led to a dramatic reduction in the number of infected domestic dogs. It tends to occur now only as sporadic outbreaks.
Young puppies between 3 and 6 months old are most susceptible to infection and disease and are more likely to die than infected adults. Nonimmunized older dogs are also highly susceptible to infection and disease. Nonimmunized dogs that have contact with other nonimmunized dogs or with wild carnivores have a greater risk of developing canine distemper.
Transmission
Infected dogs shed the virus through bodily secretions and excretions, especially respiratory secretions. The primary mode of transmission is airborne viral particles that dogs breathe in. Dogs in recovery may continue to shed the virus for several weeks after symptoms disappear, but they no longer shed the virus once they are fully recovered.
It is possible for humans to contract an asymptomatic (subclinical) CDV infection. Anyone who’s been immunized against measles (a related virus) is protected against CDV as well.
Symptoms
Macrophages (cells that ingest foreign disease-carrying organisms, like viruses and bacteria) carry the inhaled virus to nearby lymph nodes where it begins replicating (reproducing). It spreads rapidly through the lymphatic tissue and infects all the lymphoid organs within 2 to 5 days. By days six to nine, the virus spreads to the blood (viremia). It then spreads to the surface epithelium (cell lining) of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and central nervous systems, where it begins doing the damage that causes the symptoms.
Early symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, and mild eye inflammation that may only last a day or two. Symptoms become more serious and noticeable as the disease progresses.
The initial symptom is fever (103ºF to 106ºF), which usually peaks 3 to 6 days after infection. The fever often goes unnoticed and may peak again a few days later. Dogs may experience eye and nose discharge, depression, and loss of appetite (anorexia). After the fever, symptoms vary considerably, depending on the strain of the virus and the dog’s immunity.
Many dogs experience gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, such as:
Conjunctivitis (discharge from the eye)
Diarrhea
Fever (usually present but unnoticed)
Pneumonia (cough, labored breathing)
Rhinitis (runny nose)
Vomiting
These symptoms are often exacerbated by secondary bacterial infections. Dogs almost always develop encephalomyelitis (an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord), the symptoms of which are variable and progressive. Most dogs that die from distemper, die from neurological complications such as the following:
Ataxia (muscle incoordination)
Depression
Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to sensory stimuli, such as pain or touch)
Myoclonus (muscle twitching or spasm), which can become disabling
Paralysis
Paresis (partial or incomplete paralysis)
Progressive deterioration of mental abilities
Progressive deterioration of motor skills
Seizures that can affect any part of the body (One type of seizure that affects the head, and is unique to distemper, is sometimes referred to as a “chewing gum fit” because the dog appears to be chewing gum.)
Many dogs experience symptoms of the eye:
Inflammation of the eye (either keratoconjunctivitis, inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva, or chorioretinitis, inflammation of the choroid and retina)
Lesions on the retina (the innermost layer of the eye)
Optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve which leads to blindness)
Two relatively minor conditions that often become chronic, even in dogs that recover are:
Enamel hypoplasia (unenameled teeth that erode quickly in puppies whose permanent teeth haven’t erupted yet - the virus kills all the cells that make teeth enamel)
Hyperkeratosis (hardening of the foot pads and nose)
In utero infection of fetuses is rare, but can happen. This can lead to spontaneous abortion, persistent infection in newborn puppies, or the birth of normal looking puppies that rapidly develop symptoms and die within 4 to 6 weeks.
Shakira's Ma
Banned
Healing, positive vibes are heading your way from Shakira and me that Tyson will get much better very quickly. I wonder if he would be so sick if the original vet had diagonozed him properly the first time around? Upsetting when that happens, but vets are only human like we are. I don't have any suggestions on what to do for Tyson, but I can't imagine him being released from the emergency clinic and not being 100%. Hopefully he will make a miraculous recovery real soon.
courtney323
Energetic Moderator<br><img src="/forums/images/mo
Jacqueline T
Boxer Buddy
I am so sorry to hear about your Tyson, Miss Murphy and I will pray for his recover.
Sending Healing vibes to Tyson
Sending Healing vibes to Tyson
When I was growing up, we had a dog that had distemper as a puppy, and not only survived, but lived to the ripe old age of 15! That was over 40 years ago, and I am sure that there have been more advances made in medical treatment. Will keep you and Tyson in my thoughts and prayers ~ Cathy
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