Coping With Canine Distemper

I’ve always loved dogs, my mother has several dogs but I never had one of my own. My boyfriend decided to get me a puppy for Valentines Day. So he picked up a boxer/lab mix from the animal control shelter. That night I was so happy to come home to see the 8 week old puppy in a box, I named him Kobe.

That night I noticed he had diarrhea. I thought it was because he had only eaten wet dog food in the shelter. So I tried giving him dry puppy food, I went out and bought 3 different brands trying to find one he liked, but he only ate a little. The next day I went to visit my mother out of town for the weekend. Kobe still had diarrhea and I saw a few drops of blood in his stool. I took him to the Vet the next morning. The vet tested him for Parvo but the test came back negative. They said he was a little underweight but otherwise fine. He was playful, very active, wasn’t throwing up and didn’t have a fever. So the Vet gave us a few pills to help his digestive system and told us to feed him whatever he will eat until he gets his weight up. So we did, and he ate well. Boiled chicken, ground beef and a special brand of wet dog food the vet suggested.

I returned home, and two days later I took Kobe to the Vet at the shelter where we got him because he still had diarrhea of a yellowish color now and seemed to be eating a bit less. They checked his stool again but all negative. The Vet gave him a one time dose liquid antibiotic and said he may have just ate something that didn’t agree with his stomach. So I took Kobe and went home hoping he would feel better.

A week later we took to the Vet again because his diarrhea was still present, but now he had a cough, like he was trying to cough up mucus. The vet gave us some Amoxicillin to give him, and told us Kobe had a fever of 102. We were also informed that the family that adopted his brother came back saying that their dog was sick too- same symptoms. We knew then that something was wrong. But I trusted the Vet and took him home to start him on the Amoxicillin because they said that would do the trick.

But it didn’t- I took Kobe back again the very next day because his cough got worse, he didn’t eat for 24 hours, he didn’t even want to drink anything. He was less playful and just wanted to sleep all day. The Vet gave him fluids through an IV because Kobe was dehydrayted. Once again, they told me that the cough would go away and just keep giving him his medicine. So I listened and took him home.

Three days passed and I gave him his medicine but the symtoms were getting worse. He was now very skinny from not eating at all. I tried to even give him baby food but he didn’t eat. He wouldn’t drink. I had to put water in his mouth with a syringe. His cough was so bad that it was hard for him to breath. His nose was running, there was a discharge coming from his eyes, and he started shivering more and just stayed in the little basket my mom made for him. I looked in the internet, typed in his symptoms and Distemper came up. I had never heard of this before, but once I read the article I knew this is what Kobe had.

I took him to the Vet AGAIN. This was the same shelter but a different Vet. I told the Vet that I think Kobe has Distemper they agreed. He was so obviously sick by then a child could have diagnosed it. It was so bad, attacking his nervous system now to where he was having muscle spasms. Of course the Vet said they would have to euthanize him because the prognosis is bad and he would not survive. I didn’t want him to suffer through treatment that would not work. But I didn’t want to let him go either, I wanted them to do something but they again said that they don’t treat puppies with Distemper because its no use. It was a hard decision, I wanted to take him somewhere else for another opinon. But I looked into his now sad, bloodshot red eyes and knew he was in pain and it was his time to go. That hurt me so much, that I couldn’t save him.

Now I wish I would have known about Distemper earlier. I am upset because the first Vet I went to should have caught it right then, and maybe Kobe could have survived. The THREE TIMES I took him before he got really sick the Vets still didn’t know, or didn’t do the right tests to see why he was sick. I wish I could have diagnosed it and got him treatment early.

If you have a new puppy or young dog who has diarrhea please get it checked out as soon as possible. Ask about Parvo, Distemper, everything. This was the first symptom for Kobe. I know diarrhea could be the symptom of many other things, but its good to be sure. I wish someone would have told me this, then maybe my cute little Kobe would still be alive.

I will get another dog in a few months. I am still sad about Kobe and not ready to replace him yet. He was so smart and house trained in just 2 weeks! Also, I read that you should wait awhile and clean up really well after you have had a dog with Distemper because it is really contagious. Since finding out, my mother has done some serious cleaning in her home from when we were there with Kobe. I am just grateful that none of her dogs were infected. They are cuties too.

Hope this helps someone. Thanks.