Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi magi- 

i have no vet/med background but I am curious as to how long she has had distemper? One of my fosters is thought to be a distemper survivor, I doubt she received any treatment and probably survived by luck alone/ she does have a tic similar to the one you mentioned 

Her legs and I think head will jerk or spasm. This is more pronounced when she is anxious. is your girl otherwise healthy? (Assuming the pneumonia etc have cleared up) 

hopefully a tech or vet can respond but I wanted to let you know there’s hope for your puppy. We just adopted out our distemper girl’s 4 healthy puppies, she shows some muscle loss which gives her head a little bit of a triangular shape, she’s got some teeth issues and her leg tic but she thinks every day is the best day. Good luck with your baby girl, hopefully the worst is behind you 

Hi Magi,

I'm in a similar situation as you: not in the UK or the USA and sort of running blind on advanced neuro distemper in our pup with a very cooperative vet. First I just want to say Well Done! You sound like you're doing so so well and it's huge that your pup has energy and wants to play. High spirits are really important. 

So, what we're working with in our country are the following:

Clonazepam twice a day (this is a tranquilizer and anti-seizure and helps her sleep at night, at 1.5 mg for 12 kilos). We use human pills, not pet ones.

Broad spectrum antibiotics, to avoid secondary infection (especially pneumonia) as the respiratory stuff can come back with avengeance if you're not careful, for at least 3 weeks. You especially need one that works strongly in the respiratory system. Check what your vet has available for her.

Gabapentim: We're using the human medicine, check if the human pharmacies have it and ask your vet for a prescription. It may be capsules with a powder in them in which case you take out the powder and split it into the correct dosage.

Tramadol: this is a pain killer, your vet must use it in their dogs for post-orthopedic surgery. I recommend if it your pup starts to whine in pain. 

I came round to this treatment by using a manual sent to me by Austin Pets Alive who do a lot of work with distemper. I emailed the director of education and she was super helpful, even spoke to me on the phone. Website here for info:  https://www.austinpetsalive.org/resources/distemper-treatment

Contagious: The trick seems to be that if your dog has not shown any signs of distemper (not including spasms) for two weeks then you're beginning to be in the clear. However distemper can last 3-4 months and there's no way she would be fit to fly just yet. Your vet should be able to send a blood sample somewhere to test for distemper and see if she is still positive or negative. 

I'll add that my vet is not a fan of Xanax: he recommends diazepam/valium instead for doggos.

I hope this helps, and keep strong, we're all part of the same awful club here, the learning curve is steep, but we're on the right track. 

I’m sorry you had this experience 

I used to live in Iraq for 6 years back in the 70s I feel your pain. 

I’m not a veterinarian  but as a holistic behaviorist working with rescues I am confronted often with this virus  

There is a holistic approach that I treat my rescues. 

The key is to boost the immune system to fight the virus and infections which can be fatal  especially if you don’t have veterinary care in your area  

However, recovery may depend on your dog’s condition. 

You’re Welcome to message me. 

I can share what I use.