Coping With Canine Distemper

I purchased Chloe, a five month old 4 pound Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy advertised on puppyfind.com website from “enchanted babies by lisa” an online breeder in Indiana. The puppy was shipped to me with a cough. When cleaning out the carrier I found a syringe of meds taped to the bottom of the carrier.

When I contacted the breeder she told me that it was a doxycycline combined antibiotic for Chloe’s “cold” and it was just a little cough. I was sent a health record showing a series of four vaccinations. From the moment I got her, people told me the puppy looked tired and sad. She had coccidiosis and was treated for it. The cough never went away despite veterinary care. I stayed up with her nights with the coughing. Eventually she had clear fluid from her nose and eyes. She had pustules on her abdomen. She was diagnosed with a grade 2 heart murmur and arrhythmia. Even so she had a period where she seemed to get better for a while in the midst of all this. Then she developed pneumonia. She had a tracheal wash which showed she had 3 bacteria including E. coli. She was being nebulized daily. Distemper was suspected but she had had 4 vaccinations so how could it be that. Finally just before she died she had hyperkeratosis (hard nose and pads). Her breathing became more and more labored over her last two days. Just before she died she wagged her tail and gave me a little lick on the face. She was 9 months. She died May 1, 4 1/2 months after I purchased her and the autopsy shows she had distemper She tried so hard and she was so sweet through out this terrible ordeal. She had splayed hind legs that were so funny and endearing. I am heartbroken and devastated. I called the office of the vet who signed the health certificate but he only vaccinated a cavalier puppy for rabies and did not see a puppy with a cough or wouldn’t have signed a health certificate.

I contacted the breeder to find out the name of the veterinarian who attended to the cough and gave the meds and the name of the vet who gave the vaccinations as there is no vet listed on the health record. I want to talk to Chloe’s vet to see what could have gone wrong with the vaccinations. So far the breeder has not been able to provide this information but she has her own troubles with an illness in the family again. The breeder says she has never had a a dog with a virus and it is impossible for a dog to get distemper and die months later. In 50 years living in the same place with lots of dogs over the years I have never had one with distemper.

It is so baffling but I have been told that while distemper often runs quickly as an acute disease it can linger some months. I read a study which states hyperkeratosis of the footpad has been reported to occur around 1 to 10 weeks after onset of clinical signs or exposure. I don’t understand how a puppy who was vaccinated with a series of four vaccinations could contract distemper. What was the cough she arrived with that never would go away despite all kinds of antibiotics? Was it part of the distemper or another illness altogether? I am sick with worry about how this could have happened and about all the pups she played with or came into contact with.

One pup she was in contact with has a cough and as a precaution blood has been taken to test the titers. I am praying my puppy did not infect others. And why did she have to suffer needlessly? If anyone has any input or advice I would really appreciate it and thank you.