For those that don’t know, back in February I had 5 puppies that I pulled from ACS diagnosed with distemper. Long story short, 1 died of pneumonia, all seemed to recover from the mucus phase, then one, MAX, went on to the neuro phase, we tried many different treatments as I watched in despair as his twitching in his body progressed. I finally found out about a NEWCASTLE VACCINE, doing some research I contacted the closest vet, Dr. Z, in up North Austin and drove Max up to have the spinal tap. He had it, and within a few days, he stopped fighting, he had been fighting it for 3 weeks, and I had discovered this treatment too late. It broke my heart and he took a piece of my heart with him when he went over to rainbow bridge.
A week later, one of the other pups started twitching in his rear leg, he was up in Austin the next day having the spinal tap treatment, the twitching had progressed slightly and when he was resting he had like a pulsating twitch, it did irritate him, but it didn’t stop him doing any other activity and he continued to grow healthy, and found a perfect forever home. The other two pups showed no signs of neuro distemper.
I pulled a pup on 6th July, after swearing I would never get another pup from ACS as it totally emotionally, mentally and financially drained me, but we are all weak, and “Morgan” came home to the Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio household.
She is a feisty, hardcore little pup, that loves to wrestle with the GSDs, but she was sat on my knee and I noticed her jaw starting to do what is called the “Chewing gum” I felt sick, even though it was slight as this is a prominent sign of distemper in the neuro phase. I emailed Mr. Ed Bond, program director at “Save Dogs from Canine Distemper” and also Dr. Al Sears, who had discovered this treatment back in the 70s asking if distemper could only show up in the neuro phase, with NO signs at all of the mucus phase. They confirmed it can, and does happen and confirmed what I knew – that she needed the spinal tap ASAP.
The rest you probably know – working with some amazing people who come together in this rescue community, we got her up to a vet in Houston on Wednesday. She was given the serum vaccines and then on Thursday morning she had the spinal tap surgery. I was in contact with this vet who had told me all had gone well and she was making a great recovery. I drove to Houston on Friday (yesterday) to collect her, and ended up taking another dog that needed the serum with me.
You can see in the video attached – FF to about 2/5 minutes if you don’t want to watch it all – but see how Morgan is playing – it’s like nothing has happened. She is not out of the woods yet, and needs to be monitored to ensure the twitching doesn’t advance. So far I have not seen her jaw twitch at all.
If the serum is given to dogs in the mucous phase, within the first 6 days, there is at LEAST 75% chance of curing the distemper, if it is in the neuro phase, as with Morgan, there is at LEAST a 50% chance of it working, obviously the sooner it is caught the better – as was proved with Max and Bruno, and now Morgan.
PLEASE DO NOT WAIT – if you see any signs that your dog/puppy has distemper take action immediately, the rescue community as has shown, will pull together and do what is needed to save the lives of these poor animals, do not give up on them, and lets get away from the old attitude of DISTEMPER = DEATH it really doesn’t have to be like that.
A vet in San Antonio is going to be hopefully starting the treatments soon and so we will have a vet here in San Antonio that will make things a lot easier. He is my vet for GaDaH, and also my own dogs, and I cannot speak highly enough of him and his staff.
Please “LIKE” the following facebook page, and look at the “info”, click on the links and start to research yourself, get your fosters and volunteers to research so that they are aware of the signs and know how to act.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Dogs-From-Canine-Distemper/111817215513393?sk=wall
This is the website, it has so much information on it, and you will learn so much.
https://www.kindheartsinaction.com/
Lets all work together, with the vets that are willing to treat distemper, and save even more lives, that are otherwise condemned.
DISTEMPER DOESN’T MEAN DEATH!
Jenny
Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio
Non- Profit Corp, EIN 27-5241306
www.giveadogahome-sanantonio.org (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
If you want to follow how Morgan does, “LIKE” the Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Give-a-Dog-a-Home-San-Antonio/115295648540276
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Thank you for your support!