Coping With Canine Distemper

We got Honkey Magoo at a local animal shelter when he was just 3 months old and the news was advertising these puppies to quickly find owners. He was the cutest little puppy, half pug, half dachshund. He started having a runny nose and cough and we took him to the vet and began treatment for an upper respiratory infection. After about a week, the upper respiratory infection turned into pneumonia, but Honkey Magoo stayed really strong and never stopped eating or drinking even though he was very small, barley fitting in your cupped hands. We let him sleep with us every night even though his coughing kept us up and his snot got all over us and the bed from his draining nose. We also had a cool mist machine when he had pneumonia.

It wasn’t until several months later that we knew he had distemper because his back leg began to twitch. Now, he is the happiest little dog you’ve ever seen, he has no teeth, and a back leg twitch with dreams of becoming a great doggie hola hooper champion (just kidding). He is continuing to have severe dental problems because of the distemper. He never got any teeth and now cysts and abscesses are forming in his gums. He still is so strong. Nothing ever seems to bother him, he just makes whatever adjustments he needs and goes on. Honkey Magoo is a distemper survivor and the happiest dog I’ve ever seen. Anyone who ever comes in contact with him falls instantly in love. He brings joy to everyone he meets.