Coping With Canine Distemper

We just got Archer, a very cute pug, about 5 weeks ago. He’s 7 months old. He’s my 4th dog. I have 2 other pugs and 1 golden retriever. When we got him, he was perfectly active. But the very next day, we noticed he had some discharge on his nose.

Whenever I get dogs I always make sure I have them checked by the vet the very day we get him. At first, they treated him for colds. A few days later, he started coughing. During this time he had diarrhea as well and it takes us at least 2 hours just to feed him. They started treating the cough and diarrhea as well and the treatment was for 10 days.

After 1 more week, the vet gave him a stronger medicine for the cough because the previous medicine didn’t work. But that stronger antibiotics didn’t work either. They suspected him to have Kennel Cough. So I had my other dogs vaccinated as well to protect them from it. But right after my dogs got their Kennel Cough vaccines, they noticed that he had hyperkeratosis. That’s when the vet immediately gave him a distemper test. He was positive.

We started treatments right away with the hope that he would still make it although the vet already told us he has 50/50 chance of surviving. We even had to do the shots ourselves (after being taught by our vet) because he said that he needs good nursing care and that we could give him more than just that with some added love and affection.

A week after, he started having seizures. It started last sunday. The interval was two days. We were still hopeful, although my vet told me that we need to be prepared to euthanise him if the seizures get worse. We took him to the vet again yesterday as scheduled and he got another shot. I noticed he had hyperesthesia. When the vet gave him a shot he started crying really loud as if someone just hit him really hard.

We got home and tried to feed him but he wouldn’t eat. He had another seizure around 7 PM. He had another one at 8 PM. I called the vet and he told me if this goes on the entire night, we have to decide. He had 5 seizures from 7 PM last night until 5 am this morning. He’s very weak and frail. He could barely stand up. I have been crying just seeing him suffer.

If I was just selfish, I’ll keep on giving him treatments and still try to see if he makes it. But I can’t fool myself and I can’t make him suffer anymore. Distemper is a very serious disease among dogs. And I hate it. Because of it, I had to decide to put my dog down. It’s so hard. Some people don’t understand why I cry so much over a dog. I don’t blame them, they just don’t know how much dogs can love them back. I’ve had dogs since I was a kid and now that I’m an adult, I would always have dogs still. They keep me sane.

So to those who have dogs suffering with distemper, I feel you. Even if my Archer can’t survive this ordeal, I sincerely hope that your dogs do. Dogs need to be loved and cared for. They need to be happy.