Bailey with owner Joyce Burton Titular right before Bailey was diagnosed with Distemper.
I am writing down the story of my dog Bailey and her battle against Distemper in the hope that if your dog has Distemper, you won’t give up and just let your dog die. Distemper may not have a cure (it’s a virus) but there are ways to help give your dog better chances of surviving.
First of all, you have to understand that Distemper is VERY hard to diagnose. At least that’s what I’ve read on almost all the Distemper websites I’ve visited. It took my vets more than a week to figure out that Bailey had Distemper. Most of time this is the case; pet owners like me discover that its Distemper a little bit late in the game.
DAY ONE – Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The first sign that Bailey was ill was her lack of energy, reddish eyes and a runny nose.
It was very odd because Bailey is like a jumping jelly bean and can jump higher than my head – I’m pretty tall at 5’9″. She also can’t contain herself when I’m around, so to see her listless and just sitting there was incredibly disturbing.
So I figured maybe she had a cold. Since animals are less hardy than people when it comes to colds, we took her at once to our Vet in Tiendesitas on C5. It’s a clinic run by Vets In Practice but has a different name in Tiendesitas, I forgot the name, but it’s the only Vet Clinic in Tiende and you can’t miss it.
I remember the name now – it’s Animal Care Specialists Vet Clinic.
They did a few tests:
Temperature – she was running a medium fever.
A test for worms – she was positive for hookworms.
A blood test to check if it was Heartworm, Parvo or something affecting her internal organs – she was negative for these, a big relief for me.
First diagnosis – could be worms causing her lethargy. So they gave Bailey a pill to de-worm her and we took her home.
DAY 5 – Saturday, March 12, 2011
I was expecting Bailey to improve quickly because worms aren’t such a big problem. But she was still lethargic and that is never a good sign with a dog known to be frisky. So we brought her back to the vet but this time, I insisted that we check her in overnight even if the Vet said she had no fever.
During this visit, they did a test to check her sugar levels but there was no problem with that. At this time, the Vet admitted he was baffled over what could be affecting my darling Bailey Girl but he was suspicious it could be blood parasites.
Second diagnosis – it might be blood parasites. So the vet prescribed a pill for 14 days. As I said, we checked her in anyway and the next day we took her home. The Vets informed me that she was quite ferocious, barking at them all time and growling when they would feed her. I took this as a positive sign thinking that she was okay now.
But Bailey continued to be listless and I started noticing that her nose was getting dry, and the ridge above it was thickening (a Distemper sign that I didn’t know about) and she also seemed to be breathing abnormally because the pit of her belly kept pumping really fast. But I continued to give her the pill for blood parasites reminding myself to be patient because just like vampires, blood parasites ares hard to kill.
DAY 11 – Friday, March 18, 2011
No improvement with Bailey. Although she had no fever, she looked as limp as a plate of stale lettuce. Furthermore, she started to walk with a slight wobble in her back legs. Again, we took her to Tiendesitas. Since the first Vet that checked Bailey was not in, a different Vet checked her out. He listened to her heart and he heard an odd beat.
Third Diagnosis – Arrhythmia. Instead of the regular pitak-pitak, Bailey’s heart was off-beat. The Vet said that this, combined with blood parasites could be causing her to be weak and wobbly. He said that we should just continue giving Bailey the meds for blood parasites and then afterwards, we will deal with the Arrhythmia.
Fine. We took her home, still hopeful that she’d be okay.
DAY 12 – Saturday, March 19
The first thing I did when I woke up was check Bailey girl. She was the same boring dish of lettuce except I thought I noticed a nervous twitching. It was very mild though – you’d only notice it if you were looking really closely – her jaw was twitching every second or two and so was her forearm. Little did I know that this twitching was a Distemper hallmark.
The wobble in her back legs also seemed more pronounced today so I told Ron (my hubby) that we had better take her to the main animal hospital of Vets in Practice in Mandaluyong and not to Tiendesitas anymore.
At Vets in Practice they did several tests:
A stool test – negative for worms (of course.)
A blood test – white blood cells were very low.
It was the blood test that made the Vet suspicious that it could be Distemper. So he did one more test – something that looked exactly like a pregnancy test (you know, the white, rectangular plastic stick?) except you drop blood instead of urine into it. After a short wait if you get one line it’s negative. But if you get two lines, it’s positive for Distemper.
And poor Bailey girl got two lines confirming that she did indeed have the Distemper virus.
I asked the Vet what was going to happen next. Was there any hope? I had read up a little on Distemper and knew that the survivor rate was low – only 20% make it. But I could not ask the question in my heart – should I put Bailey to sleep?
To my shock, he said that there was one thing we could do – inject Bailey girl with a blood serum that was accidentally discovered and then developed by an American vet named Dr. Sears. But there was a catch – we needed a dog blood-donor who would pass stringent testing. I stood in the check-up room for 20 minutes and I could not think of one dog that would sacrifice his time and blood for Bailey. Besides, my Chihuahua Ramses was too small.
Fortunately, Vets in Practice had some left-over serum from a previous dog; it would be a bit more expensive, but it would give Bailey a chance of surviving. There were no guarantees but I went for it anyway. Bailey is one of the best guard dogs in my home and never fails to bark at any stranger that passes my gate. I knew that if she were human, she would do the same for me. Bailey deserved a chance and while it was costly, I do have a great Father in heaven who has no problem when it comes to money issues. So we went for the serum shots – three of them to be given every twelve hours on the dot.
The first Serum Shot was given at 1:50pm, March 19, 2011.
The Vet prescribed Baytril, an anti-biotic to protect her against secondary illnesses and Vitamin B complex to help promote the repair of brain and spinal material.
At this point I started giving her Colloidal Silver daily, a powerful remedy against viruses, bacteria and fungi. Three times a day, about a teaspoon each time. I am a strong believer in Colloidal Silver but there are side-effects that you need to know about so please do research first.
DAY 13, March 20, 2011
The second Serum Shot was given at 1:50 am today. Yep, we left the house a little past midnight to make the appointment.
The third and last shot was given at 1:50 pm. The Vet said that we had to wait for two days to let the Serum do it’s work. Well, it was a difficult two days for me because by this time, Bailey’s symptoms had gotten worse:
Twitches – the hallmark of Distemper. Her jaw twitched and so did her front legs. They would twitch all day and all night.
Head Bob – another hallmark of Distemper. Her head would bob up and down like as if she were a disoriented 80-year old on drugs.
Weak appetite – thankfully, Bailey would still eat one or two bites of her food. It was so hard though to figure out what she wanted because she is a picky eater. But we gave her everything from beef bones to rice and even catfood. At this point, we HAD to get nourishment into her thin body, even just a little. We would feed her three times a day and if she refused to eat, we would force-feed her with canned dog-food smashed and watered down so we could inject it into her mouth using a syringe. I would also force-feed water but did it VERY CAREFULLY – if water ever entered her lungs, she could develop pneumonia.
By this time, I had done so much research and found out that there was one last thing we could do – an NDV Spinal Tap. (Thanks to Lestre of Petiks for encouraging me to do the Spinal Tap asap!) But the Vets at VIP told me that we had to wait the full two days to let the serum work. If it didn’t work then we could do the Tap.
Fine. We waited.
DAY 16 – Tuesday, March 22, 2001
Today was my birthday and all I could think of was Bailey. Because it was costing me so much, I had canceled all my bday plans and diverted my bday money to my current priority – giving Bailey a fighting chance against Distemper.The only thing I asked God for today was my bouncy Bailey, back to normal…
At noon, we drove Bailey (in a borrowed vehicle, thank you Raymond for lending me your car on my coding day!) to VIP Animal Hospital in Mandaluyong to get the Spinal Tap done. There were ZERO improvements in Bailey but neither was she getting worse. It was like she was stuck in some sort of Distemper purgatory.
It was a LOOOOONG wait at VIP. They must of had fifty patients ahead of Bailey, including one duck and a marmoset. But finally, Doc Allison came over to us and I gave her the run-down on our case. VIP has many excellent Vets and is kind of like the Makati Med or St. Luke’s for animals because they have lots of Vets with different specialties and accept all creatures great and small – horses, turtles, hamster, you name it.
So today we had Doc Allison – a very pretty and soft spoken Vet and one of the few at VIP who could do Spinal Taps. I liked her at once. She came out to the side of their building to check on Bailey and begin the NDV Spinal Tap procedure. Yeah, that’s right, we had to do the Tap outside because Distemper is incredibly contagious and we didn’t want other doggies to catch it from her.
Right before Tap, there was one thing we needed – a vial of the Newcastle Disease Vaccine. Allison asked us if we had brought a vial of the stuff and I was like – um… okay, we don’t have that.
I had heard of that Newcastle thingy in my online research on Distemper but I had no idea that I had to supply the Vet with it. So Doc Allison checked their refrigerator if they had some on hand (I was praying like a maniac at this point) and she came back to say that they had a vial for Bailey but we had to replace it that same day. She gave me the address of the Poultry Supplier that supplied it.
Yes, apparently, Newcastle is a bird thing and since I’m not a Vet I can’t tell you why using a bird thing on a dog thing would work. But I had faith and I trusted the Vets at VIP and so I said, go-go-go!
Read the comments section for an explanation on the bird thing on a dog thing…
THE SPINAL TAP -
The area where the NDV Spinal Tap was performed on my dog Bailey
They could not do the procedure inside the Animal Hospital because, as I mentioned, dogs with Distemper are so contagious and will surely pass on the virus to any other dog they breathe on. Instead, we had to do it outside in a shaded area of VIP’s parking lot with Bailey on a towel-covered plastic bench.
So we were all huddled there – Chin, the girl who gave Bailey to me; Joy my helper; Ron my hubby; Darius who drove the car and me. It felt so GOOD to have so many of us there fussing over her.
First thing was to put her under with an anesthetic. Doc Allison said the procedure was very delicate and we couldn’t have Bailey twitching and jerking around. After the anesthetic, she had to look for the correct place to withdraw spinal fluid and inject the New Castle Vaccine. It’s somewhere on the batok (nape) of the dog – we had to bring Bailey’s chin close to her chest to stretch out the bones in the top of her spine.
After three pokes, Doc Allison found the right place and did her stuff so fast that it was a dramatic as a mosquito bite. Although I was let down because I was expecting something more action-packed like blood flying everywhere, I was just grateful that it was done and that I had done my best to make sure Bailey would have a better chance at surviving Distemper.
After the Spinal Tap, Bailey woke up, we gave her subcutaneous fluids (Doc Allison taught me how to stick the needle in!!!) and we drove to pick up the New Castle Vaccine at the Poultry Supply on Quezon Avenue, dropped off Baily at home and brought the Vaccine back to VIP to replace what we took.
My research told me that seizures were to be expected after a Spinal Tap, something Doc Allison confirmed. So I prepared my helpers by telling them that Bailey might just have a seizure or two, don’t panic, just calm her down with gentle patting. Of course her first seizure had to happen when I was not around and naturally my helpers panicked like I told them NOT to and jumped up on the ledge at our patio (Bailey’s sick bay) in fear. But thankfully the seizure was a fast one and the only one we saw her have. I hear that other dogs have it worse.
To make sure that the dog doesn’t hurt himself/herself during a seizure, it’s important to have soft bedding. Even more important is the anti-seizure medication – in our case, VIP prescribed Gabantin (generic name Neurontin) which is, according to the Vet, supposed to control seizures and lessen twitching and pain.
The days after the Spinal Tap were roller-coaster days for Bailey. One day she would look good (still limp but walking and even trotting around and barking at strangers) then the next day she would look like death itself. But I continued with her medications: Gabantin, Vitamin C (prescribed after the Tap), Vitamin B, Baytril, Colloidal Silver and Subcutaneous Fluids.
Her appetite was also roller-coaster. And unpredictable. She would want catfood for one meal then would refuse it the next. She would lap up lactose-free milk and eat bread dipped in it for one day then refuse to touch the stuff the next day. Right now, she will only eat people food brought in by Manang Vilma, my cleaning lady. And for some strange reason, Bailey prefers rice over meat. Bizarre. But the Vets told me to just figure out what she wants and give it.
Meal schedule – She was on three meals a day from the first time I took her to the Vet. And when she would refuse to eat a meal, I would force-feed her dogfood mashed with water to make it soft enough for a syringe. I would feed her at least five syringes of soft dogfood for each meal she refused to eat.
TLC – This is SO important. Dogs with Distemper (or any illness for that matter) need a lot of attention. A lot of tender, loving care. I set up a small sick-bay area for her in the patio and had my helpers put a TV there during the day so they could keep Bailey company and not get too bored.
When I had no work, I would be by her side, talking to her, praying for her healing and massaging her body gently. I would sit next to her and read a book or answer my email.
At night I would put some OFF Lotion on her head, back and tail and on her beddings to keep the mosquitoes away. I surrounded her with soft rags, old clothes and an equally old but soft pillow. We tried to keep her as warm as possible – many dogs who seem to be recovering from Distemper suddenly take ill with pneumonia or some other secondary illness so it’s important to keep your dog warm enough and pumped up with anti-biotics.
DAY 23 (SEVEN DAYS AFTER THE SPINAL TAP) – Tuesday, March 29, 2011
According to Dr. Sears, the man who first discovered the Serum (which stops the Distemper Virus in it’s tracks) if a dog survives 6 days after the NDV Spinal Tap, it is out of the woods. (Actually, I read this somewhere online; I’m trying to look for it again to link it here.)
Well, its Day 7 today and Bailey is alive and twitching. I believe she will indeed make it through the rain just like Dr. Sears and Barry Manilow said.
Note – I have read that the Serum of Dr. Sears is only effective BEFORE the twitching sets in. In the case of Bailey, she already had mild twitches so it was a bit too late. Once the dog starts twitching, it means that the Virus has reached the nervous system – a bad thing – so in that case it is recommended to go ahead with the NDV Spinal Tap. But since I am not a Vet, it would be best if you consult your animal’s doctor first when making a decision.
Conjuntivites or Sore Eyes - a Canine Distemper manifestation
The only negative development today is Conjunctivitis or Sore Eyes which is, apparently, a Distemper manifestation.
Today is Day 2 for Bailey’s Sore Eyes so I’ve been dropping Colloidal Silver into her eyes. I use warm water to loosen the eye gunk (muta) which is so thick that it prevents Bailey from opening her eyes. BUT I DO THIS WITH NO RUBBING. Just gentle patting and wiping with warm water on a cotton ball did the trick for Bailey. If the gunk won’t go away from your dog’s eyes, just try again a few hours later. Remember that rubbing can scratch and seriously damage your dog’s eyes.
Twitching and Head Bob – she is still twitching and when she walks she still has that irritating head bob and disoriented gait but Doc Allison says it’s to be expected. In fact, Bailey will most likely have twitches and a head bob for the rest of her life. They won’t be as pronounced as they are now, but most Distemper survivors carry these signs all their lives.
CONCLUSIONS:
1) Not getting Bailey her complete shots was a big mistake on my part. I kept delaying and delaying. And I kept thinking that since Bailey was an askal (mutt) and hardier than pure-bred dogs she would be fine. But that wrong thinking resulted in the story you just read. Please get complete shots for your dog.
2) DON’T GIVE UP once your dog is diagnosed with Distemper. THERE IS HOPE! I have heard that many Vets here in the Philippines will just tell you to put the dog to sleep or take it home to die. DON’T GIVE UP! Look for a Vet in your area and ask for an NDV Spinal Tap (much much cheaper than the Serum by Dr. Sears). I also hear that if you email Dr. Sears, who is now retired, he will respond to your questions.
If you are in Metro Manila or nearby it then go to Vets In Practice (Dr. Neilsen Donato is the head vet – an amazing guy if you ask me!) at #63 Maysilo Circle corner Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City (this is the circle where the Municipal Hall is) or call them at 531.1581.
They are a 24-hour Animal Hospital but be careful about going there between 10pm to 8am – they charge EXORBITANT emergency fees at those hours – something I am against. If it’s a true emergency then they SHOULDN’T charge such huge fees or they should charge something minimal.
Anyway, while Vets In Practice is not perfect, they definitely are one of the best in Metro Manila, if not THE best. They were the only guys who accepted my Hamster Mariel when she got ill. (Thanks Dr Raymond for fixing Mariel!)
Just remember to be patient with the Vets – animals can’t speak and it makes their job harder. Give them room to treat your pet; don’t act like they are stupid for not knowing your pet’s problem because they are not God. Sometimes it takes time for them to figure out these things. So be patient; if you work with them instead of against them, the process is less stressful for everyone including your pet.
But if you really are bothered by the inability of your vet to figure out what’s wrong, trust your instincts and look for another vet.
I wish you the best with your pests… ooops, I mean, PETS!
Thank you to the ff for helping Bailey Girl thru her Distemper adventure – Joy (for being Bailey’s yaya), Paning (for being assistant yaya) Doc Allison (great Spinal Tap!), Ron T (for paying all the bills, hehehe), Manang Vilma (for bringing extra people food for Bailey), Chin (for visiting Bailey and being there during the Tap), Raymond G (for lending your car so Bailey could see the Vet on my car’s coding day), Darius (for patiently driving Bailey around that day).
Thanks too to all the Vets at Vets in Practice for taking care of my DOG; you’re all cool CATS in my book!
Thanks to Dr. Al Sears and to Kind Hearts in Action for all the Distemper Information available for free online!
This video below will show you how Distemper twitching looks like. If you’re dog is exhibiting these signs, go get an NDV Spinal Tap ASAP! In this youtube vid, Bailey has breakfast in bed seven days after he spinal tap.
This next video will show you how Bailey is like on four legs with her twitching and head bob. Again this was taken seven days after her NDV Spinal Tap.
CONGRATULATIONS Ms. Joyce!!!!!
This news is greatest and wonderful Birthday gift from our God the Father in your Birthday!!!! I know the feeling of triumph and Joy that “Bailey” survived:-) God is really GOOD and his LOVE is never ending…… We just have to believe in what he can do:-) I’m very happy for you Ms. Joyce!!!!!!!
Ave thanks much for sharing my joy
God is SO good and His love is amazing. But when Bailey was at her lowest, I had told God that I will not withhold anything from Him and if it was her time, then so be it. But he granted my birthday wish and I am ecstatic!
Hi i actually wanted to speak with you because your story really gave me insite and im going through what you did but my dog has not yet been told it was distemper can you please email me
Sending you email now…
Congratulations! I was thrilled when I read your story as a “pingback” on our site: Kind Hearts In Action. To attempt to explain a question you asked about why a chicken vaccine would help a dog, we think it somehow shocks the dog’s immune system in a way that releases a previously unknown disease fighting material. It will take a lot of research to find out how that works, but it still works. When my dog was saved by Dr. Sears years ago, we used vitamin A ointments to help his eyes recover. As to the NDV spinal tap, it is our hope that the virus has been stopped neurologically, which will give the nervous system a chance to repair over time. But it takes a while for that to happen. It is a long-term issue.
But we at Kind Hearts In Action http://kindheartsinaction.com/ are always happy to hear of another success story.
Take care,
Ed Bond
Hi Ed, I just want to thank you for all the effort you have put into informing people online about how Distemper can be fought succesfully! This is such a big miracle for Bailey, me and my family and your sharing of information was a wonderful guide and at the same time a big comfort. Bless your HEARTS IN ACTION!!! To anyone reading this, please please visit the Kind Hearts in Action website to get accurate information on how to deal with Canine Distemper!
So pleased that you had a good response with the treatment.
Well done and hoping that you continue to see a steady improvement.
THanks
hoping my story will help Vets manage CAnine Distemper patients better 
and hoping to see more and more dogs recover from the deadly disease…
Hi Joy -
First of all, belated happy birthday! May you have more birthdays to come!
Second, thank you for sharing your story with Bailey. It is indeed very inspiring, emotional and touching! I wish more pet owners had the patience, perseverance and love like you!
Many years ago, I had two cats (Sasha and Marvin) and it was during a time when I didn’t know much about cat vaccinations. I let my cats out whenever they wanted, but since they didn’t have shots, both contracted feline leukemia from other cats in the neighborhood. Marvin suffered the worst; he rapidly lost weight and then one day just dropped dead. Sasha lived for another two years, until her condition got worse and I had to put her to sleep. It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life.
Anyway, I promised myself that the next time I would have pets, I would make sure to really take good care of them and never procrastinate on having their required shots. Now, I spoil my dog Bosco to death, and with my partner Daniel, we make sure that Bosco receives the best care and of course a lot of love and affection from the two of us!
I am sure Bailey will be back to normal at no time, thanks to your amazing TLC!
Best regards,
Rafa
Dear Rafa,
Thanks so much for reading my EXTRA LONG POST! I was just telling my hubby this morning that my longest post on my beauty queen blog is about a DOG!! LOLOLOL!!! But I was moved by a comment I saw online yesterday urging all dog owners whose dogs have battled Distemper to document and upload their experiences online for the benefit of someone out there who needs the info badly. My desire is that dogs will be saved because their owners read Bailey’s adventure.
I am sorry about your cats. I have about 6 cats now and they are all puskals with no shots. Since I have learned my lesson with the Bailey incident, all pets will be getting shots in April. I never knew that Feline Leukemia ws contagious. Thankfully, all my cats are indoor cats except for Max who is not a wanderer and seems to be happy just staying in the porch and garden areas.
Yes, we’ve got to be more responsible with getting shots for our pets whether they are pure-bred or not. While it’s easy to spoil a pet (like you do Bosco) it’s easy to be remiss with getting them shots. So I hope people reading this will learn from us and get their pets vaccinated
Much Love
(and More Power to Critical Beauty)
Joyce
Joyce!!
I’m so glad and happy for you that Bailey is ok now. And I’m glad you found out about Kind Hearts in Action. A dear friend had told me about them in Feb because two of her dogs got distemper a few years ago, and she found them online when she refused to accept the choice to put them to sleep (Ed Bond also helped her, she said). But for the life of me, it just kept nagging at me that I should know something about doggie distemper that would help you when I first started seeing your prayer requests on FB…I could not remember it!
I’m gonna be keeping an eye on our Roodie and praying hard that he doesn’t catch the virus. He’s really BIG now. We hope he can visit Bailey and Ramses soon…^_^ Love you! ^_^
ps: a group of Vets from QC came to our subdivision last December and offered shots for animals for a minimal price (at least, I thought P400 for 2 shots – anti-rabies and anti-fleas good for 1 year – is minimal, considering it was a house call). My katiwala says they come every year. They’re a blessing to our community! ^_^
I hear that PAWS at the Marikina overpass has great prices for pet vaccines and other vet services. I’m taking my collection of pets to them in April!!! They are nearby and I think cheaper than going to a commercial vet.
What would we do without heroes like that?
Well, here is something else that is interesting… something that deserves it’s own blog post: I have another dog in the same area where Bailey Girl is. It’s actually a puppy whom I have confined in our cattery because he had been exposed to Bailey for 6 days before we found out she had Distemper. I can’t move him to the back because I have 3 dogs there. So I just gave him a teaspoon of colloidal silver in every meal. Guess what! The puppy (5 months old) has not caught distemper even if Bailey and he have sniffed noses over and over again through the cattery barrier.
I don’t recommend though that pet owners mix a sick distemper dog with healthy dogs. If they can keep them separated, they should.
Wow- first of all-Im glad Bailey is ok :=)
Second, your dedication to Bailey is amazing… and seriously admirable Ms Joyce…. dogs do love us unconditionally and I am always always touched when someone loves their dogs the same way
… Another great reason why I am your fan 
Thanks jay
sometimes I feel like a fool for loving my pets too much but I just can’t help it… thanks much for supporting my love for animals !
Hi,
My demale boxer got the distemper virus exactly same time as your dog. Only difference, the virus was injected into her. My dog was given three distemper vaccines before and on March 9th, it ws time for a renewal dose. But, now it comes out that the vaccines given to her last year were not of good quality, so when on march 9th the doc injected him the vaccine, it lead to the virus filling her body.
She got fever by 15th March and her head has been twitching since 25th March. But I did not know it was distemper till 2nd April, as the doctor kept telling me it’s teak fever, it’s worms, it’s because of season changing from winter to summer, etc. Now, I am completely devastated. I live in India and there’s no place where I can get a NDV done. I did send a mail to Ed, but I think it’s already quite late now.
My dog has been bed ridden for about a week now, hardly able to move. I feed her liquid food using a bottle and I have absolutely no clue what to do next.
Mohit I am very sorry that this is happening to your dog. The only suggestion I can think of is to ask ed bond and your vet or another vet to work together thru skype or telephone. You can try looking for ndv or the newcastle vaccine from a poultry supplier in your city. Then ask the vet to do a spinal tap using the bird vaccine. Have the vet communicate with ed bond if they are not familiar with how to do a spinal tap. It is worth the effort and risk. There is still time, distemper is a very slow disease, it is terrible but it does give you time to find a solution. You also
Hi,
My dachshund was recently diagnosed with distemper, I would like to know how much it cost you to get the spinal tap and other medications? I love my dog – Queeny so much and I cry a lot when she experience seizures and twitching. She have complete shots but for some reason she still got the virus. I hope you could give me more information on the cost of medication because I have already spent a lot on the medicines and laboratory tests. Thank you.
You need to get her the ndv spinal tap right away don’t wait anymore. You did not say if you were in metro manila but if you are call vets in practice, the number is in the blog post, and ask them where you can buy the newcastle virus, the poultry shop is on quezon avenue. Buy the virus first then go to vip’s mandaluyong clinic. The spinal tap plus post spinal tap meds and iv will cost around 5k. Costly but worth it.
Please keep me updated on your dog’s case. Praying that it goes well…
Hi Ms. Beauty Queen.
I stumbled upon this blog because I am searching for reviews about the VIP. Bailey is so lucky to have a human master like you. It really takes a genuine heart to love dogs like that.
In behalf of Bailey, thank you for loving her unconditionally. Your story left me teary-eyed and inspire me to take good care of my dogs more.
God will definitely bless you!
Bailey is next to me as I type this, I am SO glad she is alive today. The whole distemper episode brought me closer to her and to my other dogs and I hope that whoever reads my story will also have the same reaction – to take better care of their pets and to give them love and attention. One thing I hope owners will never do to their dogs is CAGE them. It is inhuman to leave dogs in cages all day. They were built to run around in packs and not be isolated in cages. As dog owner, you are your dog’s pack leader and your dog wants to be with you. So to all you dog owners, never cage your dogs and find time to play with them too! Thanks for you note Abbie, hoping you choose VIP…
Hi Joyce, greetings from Indonesia & congrats for Bailey!!! I came across your blog as I searched thru another solution for Bejo, a 5 months old puppy being looked after by a member of Animal Friends Jogja, a small animal welfare group in Yogyakarta. Bejo is now lying helpless at an animal clinic, suffering from distemper, oxygen & infusion supports are the only things he got. His legs twitch all day long & he’s still awake, in sleeping position, cannot do anything. His temperature keep going up & down between 39 – 40 degree Celcius. [i've uploaded his pic at the clinic on twitter: @AnimalFriendsYK if you want to see how he's doing].
He’s been vaccinated, but it was just too late as he caught the virus first from a new dog coming from the street. Bejo has been not well for around ten days, yesterday morning [May 15], after being weak for days, suddenly he could run around fro a while but then he fell, fainted with strong twitches on his legs, we rushed him to the clinic. He got a high fever, too. All the vets could give were only infusion to keep him hydrated, oxygen support & ice to cool down the heat.
Today [May 16 2011], he’s still the same, except that feces coming out & urine, too.
Your story about Bailey’s struggle has really gave us spirit to keep the hope high. However, I don’t know if there’s NDV here in my town. The vets have never mentioned anything, they only say we just have to keep him strong, and we’ll see…I will search now if there’s one.
Thank you for reading, and let me share my sadness & confusion. Thank you so much for your inspirational words…
Give my kisses & hugs for Bailey.
ina
Dessy, I am so sorry for the suffering Bejo and you are going through. Don’t give up, please email ed.bond.new.york@gmail.com ASAP and ask Mr. Ed Bond to put you in touch with a vet in Indonesia who can help you. He is in touch with a network of veterinarians all over the world. I believe that NDV is fairly common among chicken populations all over the world, you can try calling up poulty supply businesses in your area. The vets here who have seen Bailey tell me that they have seen dogs in worse condition survive. Praying very very hard for Bejo…
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Joyce,
I was relieved by your story although there is still a feeling of fear that’s inside me because our pet dog, Caramel is now battling that dreaded canine disease now. All the symptoms that you mentioned are all present now in our dear dog. We love Caramel so much and we don’t want to give her up. I will contact VIP at once to inquire about the NDV Spinal Tap. I hope that we are not yet late. Thank you for the info you shared with us.
Danny thanks for sharing about Caramel. There is a big chance she can be saved. Don’t do the serum anymore if your dog has the twitching symptom. Go for the ndv spinal rap, its cheaper and easier to do and very effective. Vip in mandating is 24 hours but they do charge steep emergency room fees. But if money is not an issue, bring Caramel as soon as possible. Keep me updated!
I don’t think it’s too late Danny. Go for it. Don’t do the serum anymore ha, just ask for the NDV spinal tap na. The serum is very very costly but useless once the twitching starts. The NDV is also costly but way cheaper than the serum. Remember, the post-spinal tap period is a crucial one – your dog can still die if he/she is not pumped up with antibiotics to prevent respiratory illness. Expect seizures in the days right after. It will seem like the dog is getting worse, but give it a week and you should see some improvements. Would love to hear your success story so please send me photos – jaedeelight@yahoo.com
soo happy to hear that Bailey has fully recovered. i went through a similiar situation with my sweet boy Alex. first…kennel cough. then….pnuemonia lastly…we think its distemper and you should put him down aa theres not a lot of hope. i said i will take him home and cal you with my decision tommorrow…… six hours of redeyed internet surfing later. I had ordered 2 bottles of the ndv vaccine and went to the 24hr walmart for pedialyte and vitamins c,d,and a as well as a large thing used to inject flavor into turkey. while waiting for the vaccine i feed him huge doses of the vitamins and fed him pedialyte and dog food smoothie(an awesome recipe invented by my hubby:-) as well as 2 doses of cipro per day. When the NDV came i read the instructions,scrubbed up,gloved up,prayed and stuck him right in the butt. within 36 hrs he was obviously recovering, it took uim another day or to to not be wobbly be he is a healthy, shiny wild boy of a dog. I am so happy to read about your determination to save Bailey ,she is lucky to have you:-)
Hi there! Just wondering… did you say that you gave the NDV shot into the dog’s butt? It’s supposed to be a spinal tap where the virus is injected into the spine after a small amount of spinal fluid is withdrawn. Weird…
I’m happy to hear that Bailey has fully recovered. We are going through a similar situation with our Labrador retriever, Maxy. But the difference is our dog was diagnosed with Ehrlichiosis and distemper. We took him to the hospital last Sunday night and left him there so that the vet could treat him because he was not eating, taking his medicines and even moving as much as before. The doctor gave her shots but I don’t know the name because it was my aunt who talked to the vet (The shots costs a lot. It’s 3k per shot.) We brought him home from the hospital. He’s now okay but I noticed that he’s breathing fast/short and he pants a lot (even if he’s not doing anything). Is that normal? I’m really worried. I hope my dog can recover from it as soon as possible.
When you say that he or she is okay now, what do you mean? THat the appetite has returned? The problem with distemper is that if a dog survives it, the twitching does not completely disappear. I want you to understand though that I am speaking from my experience and what i’ve researched – I am not a vet. ANyway, Bailey still twitches to this day. It’s less prounounced when she is running and playing but when she is at rest, even when asleep, the twitching is non-stop. This is normal for distemper survivors. So does your dog still twitch? Or is it just the breathing that is fast? Just so you know, a dog’s breathing is really fast compared to humans. Recovery from distemper is slow ha… you have to monitor your dog constantly and make sure that secondary infections, especially respiratory infections don’t set in. I am not acquainted with Ehrlichiosis though so I can’t say anything about that and how it affects distemper dogs. But your best bet is to keep watching Maxy and bring her back to the vet once a week until she is totally clear of distemper.
Thanks. He’s way better than before. His appetite has returned already, but he breathes really fast even if he’s just lying down. I didn’t notice it before so I thought it was kind of weird. Anyway, he doesn’t twitch because my aunt said that the disease was diagnosed before it got worse.
Good for you and your dog! From my research, it takes the distemper virus 1 to 3 months to be completely shed by a dog that was infected. In the case of Bailey, the Vet did a distemper test on her one month after she got her NDV Spinal Tap. You may want to take your darling back for a test to see if she is clear.
and you might want to ask your vet about the fast breathing. But if your dog has good appetite that is excellent 
I am very happy for you both !!!
Hi Charm! Would you know the name of the shots that were given to your dog? My shih tzu, Sweetie, has recently been diagnosed with ehrlichiosis and distemper but i think she’s in the very early stage. Thankfully, she hasn’t shown any signs of neurological distemper. Hopefully she can recover quickly too.
Im glad and so blessed when i read this, nag karoon po aq ng pag asa n ma save ulit yng dog q, ask q lng po mam kng sa mag kano po yng inabot ng lhat kay bailey esp. yng spinal tap ? kc yng n save q before n gamit q n nung last n ma hospitalize yng dog q,
3 times n aq nag punta ng vet for 3 consecutive mons for 3 dfferent case or reason an dami nyang naging sakit like diarrhea and food allergies and now distemper nman wre i worried most, i dont want to lose her, pls help po mam and Congratulations po for having your precious Bailey’s back..
Norman
Norman, will email you nalang about your query re:costs…
Hey! I’m really glad I got to read this post. I got a puppy last saturday (July 9, 2011) that I gave to my girlfriend. She told me about how she isn’t too playful and she doesn’t eat too much. I took her to the vet this morning (Animal House in Alabang) and I told the vet about her cough and colds. She asked if we wanted to take a test just to rule out distemper. She came to us saying that our puppy (Her name’s Sabine a two-month old chow chow) was in the clear..Then came back after 2 minutes saying that the 2nd line was very feint.. We plan to bring her to Vets in Practice soon. Hopefully we find a way to kill the virus before the succeeding stages.. Hopefully all goes well.
Oh..so yes she confirmed that it was distemper..
Hey Luis, I am sorry that your puppy is confirmed for distemper… get the NDV spinal tap asap… at VIP… you will have to buy the virus though at a poultry supply – we bought ours on Quezon Ave… so save an entire afternoon for this. VIP can give you the phone and addy of the poultry supply… wishing you the best… please drop a note to tell me about Sabine’s progress… not so sure how puppies respond to the treatment, but I am praying that age doesn’t matter… God bless…
Hey! I just got back from VIP earlier and Sabine was just injected for the 3rd time. The vet told me that since she hasn’t reached the neuro stage, a spinal tap would not be necessary. The virus hasn’t gone too far to begin with. I’m glad we were able to catch it early on. We are hoping to see improvement in the next 2 days..I’m worried about my dogs at home though that came into contact with her too :/ the past few days have been dreadful. Please pray for her recovery and for my other dogs’ safety too! Thank you again for the blog. I will let you know if anything significant comes up
THe Serum cure is very expensive, far more than the NDV spinal tap, but you have the budget for it so I am VERY happy!!!! I am glad it did not reach the serious stage where the dog twitches uncontrollably. And I am SO happy that I was able to help somehow…. I hope you can also document your experience and share it online for the benefit of other dogs and dog owners… hoping the serum works and the virus is stopped!
Haha! The price is pretty steep! I had to sell a few prized possessions but it’s a small price to pay for Sabine’s health. It’s been 2 days post administration of the NDV serum and I can’t believe it. The Sabine we got used to, lying around is now all over the place!! She runs after everyone gets tired, sleeps, wakes up and does it all over again!! I know it’s too early to say but I see a lot of improvement! I will surely share my experience online!
And yes! You did help very much! When I saw the Kind Hearts in Action website, I thought that the treatment wouldn’t be available here. But when I searched “Distemper Treatment Philippines” your blog post was the first one to show! Thank you!
Will keep you updated on Sabine’s recovery then eventually make a blog post about it too!
Luis, I trust Sabine is on her way to recovery! Yes price is steep but you did the right thing by selling stuff. Me, I put it on my credit card. Haaaay naku, for the love of dogs! I am happy this bog post has helped save your darling Sabine. I truly encourage you to make a similar post on your facebook or on your blog. Please put the link in my comments section and I will link Bailey’s story to yours. I am happy for you and Sabine!
good day, my name is Mrs. Abigail Sandoval, from the Philippines, I have an 8month old female Siberian Husky, who was suspected by her vet last July 8, 2011 to have distemper because of the following symptoms:
- high lymphocyte count
- eye discharge (right eye only, she had light pink eyes that is slightly swollen, i treated it with an eyedrop, that is given by her vet and it cured her right eye now)
- coughing (very often last week, at least 3-4x a day, but stop coughing for the past 5days after giving Ceelin Plus, vitamin C and Zinc 5ml, 1x a day.
- as of now, i noticed that her foot pads are different because it is slightly thickened, and she breathe faster than normal even if she’s sleeping.
- she became a picky eater, although her appetite is still good
She didn’t have fever, nasal discharge, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, has not reached neuro symptoms yet.. She is still active and playful, I really wanted to have her test for distemper, but I’m really scared of the possible result, that’s why i started surfing the net to know if there are survivors and if there is a possible treatment for this. then i found your site, i really wanted to save my dog, i love her very much, i treat her as my youngest daughter, but what should i do? Please help me.. i can’t afford to see her suffer in the next days or months… i can’t help but cry seeing her happy but deep inside her happiness is a traitor disease…please help..
P.S. is it possible to request if she can undergo spinal tap rather than NDV serum even if she’s still in her early symptoms? i’ve read that NDV serum is expensive and spinal tap is much more affordable yet effective..
Thanks and God bless you and Bailey!
Do not be afraid. Get your Husky checked. Because it might not be Distemper. But if it is Distemper here are your options –
1) Getting the Serum shots. They are more expensive, like 5 times more expensive than the NDV Spinal tap. AND it is only effective before the twitching begins.
2) Once the Twitching starts, foget the Serum and instead get the NDV Spinal Tap.
You might want to wait until the twitching starts, if your budget is tight. But be warned that if you do this, your dog will most likely be twitching for the rest of her life. Once the virus reaches the twitching phase, you can’t undo the damage to the nerves of your dog. But she will live and her life will be a good one. She won’t be a well-coordinated as before, but she will still be able to run around and play.
Once again, please remember that I am not a vet and that my advice here is solely based on my experience and on material that I have read on Distemper. It is alwyays best to get the opinion of a Vet and I highly recommend the Vets at Vets in Practice.
nagtest n po si bella ko.. thank God its negative! maybe sa mata nya un viral infection.. ginamot ko na un eyes nya before kme nagpatest… i’m so happy.. thanks po sa help!
Ay, that is good news! THanks for the update Abigail, I am so very relieved
hi.. i forgot to ask the costs.. uhm.. pero sana kaya siya ng budget ko..coz as of now, medyo mahigpit sa budget coz i also have 2 kids studying.. please email me po how much ang mga treatment para malaman ko and mabudget ko na din.. and kung alin treatment ang pinakamaganda. ask ko na din about the vitamins na binibigay mo, if ilang mg ang vit.B etc.. thanks
Hey! I hope Joyce doesn’t mind that I’m answering your question but, the survival rate is higher when the NDV serum is induced as opposed to the spinal tap. The reason behind this is that the serum need only to be injected in their skin as to the spinal tap needs to be injected in the spine, to reach the brain IF the virus has already reached there. What you want to do is to stop it from getting there. Basing from your description, your dog is only in the respiratory stage.. You can have her tested in VIP. They will use a titer test. Something like a pregnancy test except a blood serum is used. That’s 950 pesos. the survival rate when the NDV serum is used during the respiratory stage is a whopping 90%!!! And the spinal tap at the neuro stage is at 50%.. Bailey was lucky enough to have her master all throughout and to survive. I hope this helps.. The serum works faster. It’s been 2 days since the last shot was administered and my dog looks like a totally different puppy!
You know Luis, I had both the serum and the NDV spinal tap done.
but thanks for the information, as long as it helps other dogs and dog owners then comment away!
And also, I’d like to add not all dogs go through all the stages.. Sometimes, older dogs don’t exhibit the respiratory symptoms. If ever, very minimal. Some dogs also skip the digestive phase. So it’s respiratory then Neuro right away. You should take your dog and get her titer tested right away and figure it out from there. I suggest you take the test in VIP because they know how to use the titer best. Some vets use the discharges or the blood of the dog to test which MAY garner false positive results. In VIP they create a serum in which the manufacturer of the titer tests say is most effective in getting precise results.
Bailey’s so lucky to have you! I didnt like that vets in practice didnt give her a spinal tap right away since she was twitching already (it means that the virus was already in her nervous system). If Bailey’s not a puppy then they could have administered the NDV vaccine directly, no need for a donor dog. :/ which would have been cheaper.
Hi there, yes I was a bit miffed that they did not suggest the NDV since she was already twitching. But I got a big discount on the cost so that made up for it. The Vet that suggested the serum was one of the newer guys so I guess he made the wrong judgement call. Oh well, I know better now and Bailey is better now so, I just let it go.
Oh, and I didn’t need a donor dog since they had some extra left-over serum from a previous dog donor….
HI po Ms.joyce, im done.. n dala ko na po yng Dog ko in vets in practice , thanks you so much po for sharing us your experience together with bailey’s..
pro my ilang concern p dn po aq, mdyo n late po kc aq ng pag dala s knya in vets, mga 8 days ago n po simula nung ma diagnose sya about distemper may twitching and eyes discharge ok lng po ba yun? and ngyn po 1 day post spinal tap nya kso d p dn xa gumigising pero she’s still breathing and a bit rapid.. ilang days po ba bago nka tayo and nag start kumain ulit si bailey?
Regards
Norman
If you are giving your dog nuerontin, a medication that they usually prescribe for post-spinal-tap then your dog will really be groggy. It took Bailey a long time to recover after the Spinal Tap. Be patient. And make sure to give the anitbiotics and all the meds they prescribe. You don’t want your dog to catch a cold or some secondary illness. Give a lot of love, tell your dog you love her and touch her a lot. WHen Bailey was ill, I wouuld spend hours with her sitting beside her on her beddings. I would be reading with one hand on her all the time. I would whisper in her ear for her to be strong. TLC is very very important and can build up a dog’s fighting spirit… God bless and keep me updated… you should see her improve a little after a week… just be patient because sometimes it takes longer for certain dogs to recover. Don’t worry…
our princess 5 mos old lhasa apso has been consistently fighting the battle against distemper since more than a month ago which the vet didnt diagnose earlier. It started first week of June when she was confined in a nearby vet clinic and was just diagnosed with anemia and worms. Antibiotic therapy and all supportive treatment were made. It was costly but she got better until she had a relapse. She has her high and low days but now i donot think she will be able to recover. All symptoms somehow have manifested such as the eye discharges, wobbly legs, twitching and so forth and I was about to give up and let go of her sufferings but the vet told us to treat her with antiviral meds. Until I read your blog while searching for answers. I think the virus is already in her nervous system. Would spinal tap still work for her? I really would like to see her jumping on me again…
I think you should take her asap to Vets in Practice. Asap. Even if it is in her nervous system, the virus can be stopped. The chance for her survival is high with the NDV spinal tap. I am not a Vet but after my experience and learning more about the disease, I believe you should go for it. While nothing is 100% sure, the NDV will give your dog a big fighting chance. But do it asap… and keep me updated Tel… God bless!
just want to share lang po nagspinal tap din before yung dalmatian ko sa vets in practice,kya lang cguro hes old na kya di nya nkayanan,,then my 2 month old shih tzu had symptoms kya po nagresearch ako,,i tried po yung 4 life transfer factor plus 1 bottle and nkasurvive din po sya it strengthens immune system daw po to surpass the infection,,sayang lang tlaga kasi dko na-save yung dalmatian ko late ko na kasi naresearch yung medicine 6 times a day. ok nmn yung puppy kaso di na tlga nawala yung head bob,,but the chewing gum fits disappear po. and now mag 1 year old na sya.share ko lang po to help yung mga hindi afford yung spinal tap…thanks..
Hello po. I have a 3 month old lab that has distemper. he’s been for almost a month now. will it still be too late to get him a spinal tap? He’s showed all signs of distemper like thickening of the pads, eye discharge, motor skills failure, chewing gum and head twitching. I have been giving him antibiotics to prevent more infections and vitamins to support the loss of appetite. the spinal tap is way beyond my budget but im thinking of going for it. will it be too late already? it has been 2 weeks since he was diagnosed of distemper. I was hoping that the virus would die if it stayed in my dogs body for that long and that he would recover. please help…
Go to the vet at VIP asap. I believe it is not too late. I understand the cost is high but the spinal tap is much much cheaper than the serum. Besides its too late anyway for the serum since neuro stage na your sweetie. Don’t waste time, the money can be earned back. But your dog’s life can’t. Its worth the risk. When I did the serum and spinal tap I cried so hard at the expense but my hubby told me that even if Bailey still died, at least we have the comfort that we did our best to fight for her life. She is a fierce guard dog and protects our home from strangers… It was the least we could do for her… Please keep me updated!!! Praying for finances for u!!!
Btw, Distemper is a virus, anti biotics won’t kill it, they wil just prevent secondary infections. Make sure to tell the vet you’ve bern giving your dog antibiotics because after the spinal tap is done the virus will hopefully be stopped but your dog wil be susceptible to secondary infections like pneumonia and u will need to administer antibiotics. But since u have ben giving antibiotics your dog might have a resistance to them. Tell the vet so he or she can give a stronger antibiotic… God bless…
I am so happy that your dog beat the odds. I made the same mistake as you thinking that because my dogs were house dogs they did not need all the vaccines. I spent a couple of thousand tryinto save my beagle and it just had hold of her to much. My lab mix got it also but 3 months later the infections have cleared up except she is wobbly in her back legs. She is happy and playful but when she tries to jump on me, she is so uncoordinated,she falls but thats ok as long as she is happy and well. I hope she has been through the worst of that horrible distemper. Our pets are so much a part of our lives and there is nothing I would not do for them. Take care.
Thanks so much for confirming what I discovered – that vaccinating your dog is imperative even if they stay indoors all the time. I am So sorry about your sweet Beagle… Distemper is such a terrible and slow disease but I am glad your mixed Lab survived and is fine. My Bailey too tried to jump on me and is a bit uncoordinated, but she is extremely happy because I am so much closer to her now after going through that terrible month of fighting the illness. I was her nursemaid and fixed my schedule around her during that time. I too would do all I can to make sure my pets are happy
I’m so glad I found this blog. My dog (Scottish Terrier), also named Bailey, also got distemper. We were in and out of the vet’s practice for about three weeks and eventually, after a lot of touch and go, she recovered.
She had all the same symptoms as your Bailey.
Only yesterday, about two weeks after being told she was healthy, has she started with the twitch. It’s on her left hand side of the body and is very noticeable. It’s frantic and occurs continuously. We took her to the vet last night and they simply said it’s because of the distemper but carried out no tests or proper examination. We rushed her to anotehr veterinarian who did a few tests and a check up and said she has gastro. He could find no traces of distemper in her blood.
This is so worrying, how can two vets have different diagnoses and which one is accurate?
Does your Bailey still twitch?
Tanya, once the Distemper reaches the Neurological phase and your dog survives, the twitching won’t ever go away. It can lessen but unfortunately your dog’s coordination will be hampered. My Bailey twitches constantly even when she’s asleep. Don’t worry about the twitching too much as long as your Bailey is happy. You do have to watch out for her teeth – if she is clenching her jaw, like she’s chewing gum, and can’t control it, she’ll wear down her teeth. You’ll have to see a Vet who can work on your dog’s teeth or give advice. I’ve heard of dogs who are unhappy over or irritated about the twitching; if that is the case then you can see a Dog Physical Therapist – they can help your dog manage the twitching better.
Your first Vet is correct altho it is possible that the 2nd vet was right – maybe your Bailey also had a gastro problem at the time. Just to remind all readers, I am not a Vet and I am just talking from experience and from the knowledge I have accumulated. It is still best to seek the advice of a Veterinarian when in doubt!
Thanks so much for dropping by and leaving a comment – this will be helpful for other Owners of Distemper Survivors!
Tanya, please check out Ed Bond’s response to your query… I think his answer is much much better than mine.
Tanya,
The reason why they can’t find the virus in your dog’s blood is because there are two battlefields in the dog’s body. There is the nervous system and then there is the rest of the body. They are separated by what is known as the blood-brain barrier. Your dog fought and survived the virus while it was in the rest of the body, but now the virus has crossed the blood-brain barrier and infected the nervous system. The virus has moved on.
But now, you are facing the more dangerous stage of the disease. Very often the neural problems will continue to advance until you see seizures, paralysis and eventually death. The NDV spinal tap, which is what treated the Bailey on this blog, can help. It has shown a 50 percent survival rate, and it is explained here: http://www.kindheartsinaction.com/archives/88
You should explore the rest of our website to get an idea of the possibilities and the limits of these treatments.
I’m the project director on canine distemper for Kind Hearts In Action and I can let you know if there is a vet near you who can help. You can e-mail me directly at ed.bond.new.york@gmail.com for more information.
Ed Bond
Ed, thanks so much for this! You know Distemper much better than I do and I appreciate all the information you are giving to help save dogs dealing with Distemper… bless your heart!
Hi ed, thanks so much for your response. Unfortunately, I’m in South Africa and this treatment hasn’t once been offered to us. I will ask about it when she goes for her check up later today.
It worries me that you say the fight is only just beginning. She appears otherwise happy but just a bit slower and less eager. However, the twitch is prominent in her back.
We actually had our other Scottie, William catch it to too but the doc said it was caught early and he’s completely healed. They said the same about Bailey I suppose. They even started doubting whether the dogs truly had distemper? Could it be anything else? See, in South Africa, it’s mostly dogs found in townships that have this disease. It’s not common in residential areas (the doc says).
Right now, we’re relying on prayer for our Bailey.
Tanya, email Ed Bond asap. He has connections all over the world and might be able to point you to a vet in South Africa who does the NDV Spinal Tap. Praying alongside you…
Tanya,
I just heard last weekend from a vet in South Africa who successfully treated a dog with neural distemper. She is in Darling, but I don’t post the info for vets online. If you need the info, PLEASE e-mail me directly at ed.bond.new.york@gmail.com.
Thanks, have done so.
Hi Joyce
Congratulations to Bailey.
My toy poodle Cha cha just diagnosed with distemper. It’s stage 2 which seizures occurs quite frequently.
I’m from malaysia and the vets here never heard of ndv spinal tap. To them distemper is fatal.
Just to check with you, will you be able to provide the contact of the doctor who treated Bailey for distemper?
I feel so helpless now as there isn’t a single vet in Malaysia that treats distemper seriously.
Thank you in advance.
Dear Joey… Yes the Vet Hospital is called Vets in Practice phone number is +632 531 1581 or +632 533 7965 you can have your vet call them up for questions.
You should also contact Ed Bond – he heads a group (in the US) and they help distemper dogs survive the disease – he has connections to vets all over the world. Contact him – he might know of a Vet in Malaysia who does the NDV Spinal Tap. You can email him here ed.bond.new.york@gmail.com email him ASAP. There is time to save Chacha!
You can look for Dr. Neilsen Donato. The one who did the Spinal Tap on my Bailey Girl is Dr. Allison. Vets In Practice has about three or four vets who know how to do the spinal tap….
http://vetsinpractice.multiply.com/journal that is the blog site of Vets in Practice… you can visit it for more information!
Dear Joyce
Thank you very much for your help.
I finally found vets who does spinal tap in malaysia. It is called yeoh veterinary. My dog did spinal tap on Sunday and I am praying for the best for her now.
Take care.
Hello Joey, how did you find that Vet? Please give me an update on your dog, I am believing that your sweet little pet will survive. I am so happy that you are a pet owner who will go out of his way to find a cure for his dog…
One of my dogs also had distemper. While she was fully vaccinated and cam out alright for the most part. She cannot walk in a straight line and she seems to have short term memory loss. I am sorry that you had to go through all of this, but it made me feel better to read this and learn that I am not the only person who has dealt with this. Most people don’t have a clue what distemper really is and this story is a testament to vaccinating your dog and to not giving up.
I’m so sad, my dog name (Jacquelou) also has a distemper, he is died now few hours ago, my mom decided to go him in sleep as the vet suggested then they vaccinated him with euthanasia, at first i’m against, I said just go back to the house than going to die,. but when I see him having the symptoms of distemper, having epileptic movement, twitching the arms, the teeth is shaking, and his head something moving like just moving the bones, I also decided to do the euthanasia, while holding him and seeing him dying, it so hard for me..
2 days ago he is strong, apparently days come, my dog slowly show the symptoms of the distemper. at first i think its just a simple illness, then the next day, i tried to do some research on the net about dog illness, i just conclude that my dog, has a epilepsy, because one of the symptoms of distemper is shaking,. last night when i saw him shaking I’m just always at his side to give comport and love to him,. and this day my mom and I decided to go to vet together with Jacquelou to know what happening to him,. and then the vet said he has a distemper, and it is fatal, that it is already in his nervous system, the vet said that even having a supplements it is fatal. and he suggest to do a sleep on Jacquelou,. thats all,. so sad,. (hard to english waah.. hehehe = change mood dont stay on sad feelings,.. but im still sad)… thx
Michael, nag nose-bleed ako sa yo, LOL! But super sorry ako about your dog. I know how it’s like to lose a beloved pet. Nung namatay ang Fox Terrier kong si Andy, di ako makatulog for more than 24 hours sa sobrang lungkot. THe vet had to put him to sleep also kasi grabe na ang kanyang symptoms and pain. Huwag kang mag-alala, we have a God who loves his creation and even if hindi sinasabi ng Bible na may animals in heaven, I’m trusting that God has a place for our pets when they die.
[...] my helper Joy. With the help of wonderful vets who tried an experimental cure, Bailey survived. Read the account here… Although she suffers from seizures every now and then, she is alive and kicking and [...]
Hi joyce, do you happen to know if they have vets practicing the NDV spinal tap here in Cebu. My dog has been diagnosed yesterday to have such virus(distemper) and I am hopeless as all of the vets i approached would suggest euthanasia, I just can’t afford taking a life that i did not give to begin with…
Louis, please contact the Vets In Practice group. Here is the number – look for Dr. Allison – 4707987. also look for Dr. Neilsen Donato – he’s like the main dude there and will be able to hopefully point you to someone in Cebu. They might even be able to walk your own Vet thru the steps of doing an NDV Spinal Tap. When Doc Allison did it to Bailey, it looked REALLY simple but of course, that’s because she’s really good. I’m sure there are risks involved and the Vet needs to have a really good hand.
Here is the blog of Vets in Practice –
Congratulations and I am so happy to see one distemper patient survive, I had dog that died because of distemper and it took years for me to recover from pain. I promised myself that my next dogs will not suffer the same and what ever my shortcomings to my previous dog I will pay in full to my next dogs…and you know what happened, my beloved dog Peso did not get distemper but was diagnosed to have perineal hernia…. He is also a survivor undergone six surgeries… You’ve been to the best vet clinics, because Peso’s first two surgeries was done in Animal Care Specialists and the next four at Vets in Practice. True enough God sent these dogs to us because HE knows we will take care of them at all cost….and we can tell that in spite of, your Bailey and my Peso are our Angels in Disguise… Nice to know you…
Congratulations and I am so happy to see one distemper patient survive, I had dog that died because of distemper and it took years for me to recover from pain. I promised myself that my next dogs will not suffer the same and what ever my shortcomings to my previous dog I will pay in full to my next dogs…and you know what happened, my beloved dog Peso did not get distemper but was diagnosed to have perineal hernia…. He is also a survivor undergone six surgeries… You’ve been to the best vet clinics, because Peso’s first two surgeries was done in Animal Care Specialists and the next four at Vets in Practice. True enough God sent these dogs to us because HE knows we will take care of them at all cost….and we can tell that in spite of, your Bailey and my Peso are our Angels in Disguise… Nice to know you…by the way in case you want to check about my dog’s ailment here is the link http://maria-cecilia.hubpages.com/hub/Perineal-Hernia-in-Dogs. thanks
Cel, I just visited your site, wow! Another person who loves her dog so much! Ang ganda ng ‘coverage’ mo kay Peso. I encourage other people to be journalistic like you when it comes to pet ailments (even human ones!) – take photos, keep an online journal, show videos and give insights. Such articles become a great resource for people who are going thru the same problems with their furry friends. God bless your heart Cel, you are a wonderful soul!
Hey our dog is going threw same stuff. Can you email me? All our vet has done is give antubotics. We adopted her like a month ago. It kills us to see her in such pain
Brandon please scroll through the comments and look for the email addy of Ed Bond. He is very active in thefight against distemper and will be able to answer yourquestions better than I can. Please keep me updated, praying for your dog…
hi.. j0yce.. our d0g chiechie is suffering on distemper now.. he is sick f0r almost a m0nth now.. we went on vets near us but they are so useless they giving us wr0ng med. though they can clearly see the symptoms of distemper on him.. so we went to another vet but they give us less hopes.. but we’re still fighting as we see that chiechie is still fighting.. we’re giving him the vitamins and food he needs.. and as i read your story you give us more strength and more hope that he can be cure.. thanks for the info. your page really helps others.. we’re planning to go to the said hospital but not for now maybe the day after tomorrow or on the other day coz we can’t afford it for now.. but as soon as we get money for his medication surely we will go there.. i just hope it still not late.. haaaayyyyzzz… seeing him like that is really heart breaking =’( tnx again.. and happy for you and your dog bailey..
Hi Joy, were you able to go to VIP? Hoping that you found the funds. It is an expensive procedure. I had to put it on my credit card. In fact I cried so hard when I saw the cost because mahal masyado but I could not turn my back on Bailey. Thankfully, i was able to pay off the credit card debt in a month so all’s well that ends well!
Hi Ms. Joyce! I am really amazed and hopeful because of your story about your dog, Bailey. God is really good! I am just curious about the price for the NDV Spinal Tap for distemper? My dog has a distemper and she was diagnosed last Sunday. I really love my dog and I want her to live. I am hoping for your reply. Thank you so much. God bless you.
Grace , hello, I just got online now after several days of being on hiatus. I am sorry about your dog. WHat exactly happened? Did u go to VIP, the same vet I took Bailey too?
The vet didn’t prescribed anti-inflammatory or pain killer after the operation. She’s really in great pain last night and passed away.
Hi Ms. Joyce. Good day!
I am Moira from Manila and I happen to read your article about Canine Distemper. I have a siberian husky which is inflicted with distemper. We noticed that she became weak like two weeks ago, had runny nose, looks disoriented, and no appetite. We thought that she only had a flu so we gave her antibiotics and bromhexine. But unfortunately, she did not get well. I have noticed as time passes, her nose is getting dry and cracked and the foot pads were getting hard and thick. Her eyes were so gunky, sleepy and breathes so fast. I am so worried. Then we decide to go to the vet and injected her with antibiotics and some shots for flu for 3 days but never improved a bit. Then I have researched diseases about dogs and came across canine distemper and when I was reading about it, the signs and symptoms were exactly the same as my dog’s only without the twitching yet. We decide to go to VIP yesterday and have her a distemper test and turned out to be positive. The only thing that I am thankful was that we discovered her distemper just before the neurological stage, where twitches are very common. So Doc Allison also attended to my dog since Doc Nielsen Donato was on leave. We did the spinal tap outside the clinic and induced NDV to her spine. Right now, after 24 hours, my dog is still sleeping, but stable and from time to time, she walks around her cage…she was given intravenous fluids right now, where we inject Vit. C, Vit B complex and quinolone (an antibiotic) there along with the fluids. She is being forced feed since she has no appetite yet but we are so positive that she can make it. We will be back on Saturday for another check up and see how she progress.
Actually I was inspired by your story about Bailey, and decided to seek medical attention through NDV as what you did exactly with Bailey. That’s why when I have read your article about this, I have no second thoughts to do this procedure to my dog. So I thank you so much for this. And hopefully, in God’s will all will be fine in days to come. Thank you again and please help me pray for my dog to get well very soon.
God bless!!
Moira
MOira, congratulations! I am confident that your dog is on the way to healing! It took two weeks after the NDV for Bailey to start showing signs of recovery. It was slow but we were patiet. The key is to make sure you support your dog with the antibiotics because after a spinal tap, infections can set in and become deadly. I remember how crazy it was for me taking care of Bailey, not knowing what was wrong then after we discovered it was distemper, I went thru a different kind of crazy. Then the post NDV was a whole new set of worries. But it was all worth it. I hope you document your dog’s story and put it up online so that you too can help other dogs survive this disease!!!
Thank you. I really hope so that she gets better in the next days. Today we will be at VIP for check up and assessment. My dog is stable but the thing is, she started to get a bit “makulit” on her cage…she responds a bit when called…but she still breathes a little bit fast than the normal. She can open her eyes better than before she had the spinal tap. She is still on her antibiotics and supplements like vit c and vit b…I would like to document it but I have not taken videos, after these, I will find time to make an article about my dog…but I cans ay now that everything is doing well and hope she recovers very soon. Again, thank you. It was really worth the wait and patience indeed is the key word for this kind of disease.
Those are all good signs, I believe your Dog will get better as long as you guard against secondary illness. Thanks much for being such a loving Dog Friend!
his 4th day today since he had spinal tap on VIP.. and i d0n’t know whats g0ing on.. he is still so weak and now he bites his tongue and i don’t know what medicine to give.. he cries everytime we force feed him.. maybe because of his damage tongue :’( the vet there advised to give him pet gel but vet clinic near us dont have it haaayyyzz.. i read about colloidal silver u think this can help for his tongue?? :’(
where can we buy colloidal silver & is it expensive?? Dr. Dan is the vet who made the spinal tap on our dog.. we’re still hoping he can still survive ..
You can buy Colloidal Silver at Vets in Practice. It can help your Dog fight infections of all kinds. Spray it into his food or directly in the mouth. You can also use a syringe but make sure the body is upright when force feeding liquids because you don’t want liquids to enter his lungs. It is a slow recovery for some dogs. Be patient… and be there for your dog. Just your presence alone will lend strength to your dog. I would always whisper sweet nothings and positive words to Bailey when she was sick…. keep me updated..
Joy hi I am so happy to witness how this blog helps a lot of dog owners, and you indeed helped save doggies’ lives. This spinal tap, I am thinking if it was already available way back 1998, or in case it is indeed available will it save my dog’s life then? during those time I only went home on Weekend so it was only then I can see my dog, one thing I noticed about him that I knew was not normal was the lower part of his mouth, it was moving upward-downward, so I brought him to a vet clinic near our place, I was told he was at the final stage of distemper, as compared to cancer he was at the 4th stage.. so is that the stage that you mentioned that is quite too late to heal? well of course those were things of the past, maybe that’s why your blog as well as the feedback of the dogowners are giving me joy because I know dogs now can survive distemper, especially if their humans trully care for them… by the way years ago, I think I saw you at VIP’s Old clinic, I think we even smiled at each other then, but well you know I just can’t remember the situation then, it was one of Peso’s surgeries I know but I am not sure if I bought him there for surgery then or I was about to bring him out… I just remember it… I am not sure LOL
Cel, thanks for sharing
I am not qualified to answer your question however, just scroll around in my comments section and look for Ed Bond’s comments – he has links to discussion boards and his website where you might be able to get answers. 
Anyway, next time you see me at VIP, you MUST say hi okay? It would be good to meet you!
today is his 7th day after his spinal tap he but he is still lying but we can see that he really wants to walk but his body cant.. he is still on his roller coaster period.. and yes we do talk to him with positive words and we’re always with him specially when he cries for pain.. we still force feed him coz he still dont have appetite and maybe because of his damage tongue kase nakakagat nia ng di nia sadya because of the twitches on his jaw.. Dr. Dan gave us Gabapentin for neuropathic pain..
we’re not giving up as long as we can see that he is fighting.. we’re just hoping to see him active as bef0re soon..
thanks again for all the info u p0st here.. this really helps a lot..
For anyone having trouble in the post-spinal tap recovery phase, you should check out our discussion board on these issues. Owners are sharing their stories and what works/doesn’t work here: http://www.edbond.com/distemper/discussion/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2410
To improve appetite, try using karo syrup in the drinking water. That’s discussed there.
Everyone guys, Ed Bond here was instrumental in helping me make decisions about the treatment of my dog Bailey. If your dog is showing signs of distemper, please visit the discussion board in the link above. It will HELP YOU MAKE DECISIONS that will be crucial to the survival of your dog. Thanks so much Ed for your advocacy. My dog Bailey is happy and alive today thanks to your hard work online to spread information about how to fight Distemper. God bless you!
Alright, i really appreciate the update
it took two weeks before my Bailey started showing very clear signs of mild recovery. Keep up the good work!
Hi Joyce,
Just a question, Mr. Ed Bond recommends giving Karo syrup to stimulate appetite of sick dogs. Is it fine as well to use honey instead of karo syrup? Honey is more natural and proven also to increase the immune system.
My dog is doing fine after more than a week of spinal tap. She is a little bit makulit na and keeps on biting the tubing of the IV fluids. So ilang beses na kami nagkakabit ng dextrose, when we wake up in the morning we can see that the dextrose is either bulged or naputol nya ang tube..hahaha she keeps on biting it. Maybe she doesn’t want to have the dextrose anymore…but the vet advised us to continue it for 5 more days, it is supposed yo be her last day today on fluids but since it is always interrupted we decided to continue until tomorrow, Friday. Yesterday we started nebulizing her. We just have one concern which is her breathing is still fast…even at rest or sleeping. This is the only symptom which she had early during the time she was diagnosed until now. Thickening of the pads and cracking of nose were somehow diminished. Her runny nose were gone…
I hoped that she will continue to improve so that we can start playing around and go back to her normal life with other dogs. By the way, do you have an idea how can we say that she is totally healed? If we see her active, can we say that she is already healed? Do dogs get distemper only once in their lives or is there any possibility that there is chance of having again? Is there a time frame that we have to expect that she is totally cleared from distemper? Because our worriy is that if we mix her with other dogs in the kennel, some dogs might be contaminated…which we definitely do not like that to happen again.
I will keep you updated of my dog’s condition…thank you again for giving us word of hope and inspiring us with your blog. It is indeed a big help.
God bless and more power!!!
Moira
Hi Moira… here are my answers:
1) Honey for dogs – I read a few articles online that say it’s okay for adult dogs but not puppies. Please do more research though on this.
2) Dextrose – when Bailey had her spinal tap, the doctor gave me this interesting type of dextrose – We let the dextrose drip into her with the needle in the skin of her shoulderblades until it formed a big bump of water on her back. Then we removed the needle and the bubble would slowly subside as the liquids sank into her system. This was a 15 to 20 minute procedure that eliminated the need for 24 hours dextrose. Ask your vet about it. Oh, but it’s your last day na pala so just do it the way you’ve been doing it, hehehe…
3) Breathing – not sure if this is bad or good. But with Bailey, her breathing is obviously a bit faster than before. I assume it’s because she has a permanent twitch and that causes her siguro to breathe a little faster and to burn more calories than the average dog.
4) Total healing – Bailey’s nervous system had already been damaged by the Distemper Virus and as a result she still twitches up to now and the vet says she’ll most likely be twitching for life. But the twitching becomes less severe over time. The problem we have now is seizures. Bailey has severe seizures and is on phenobarbital medication everyday. Buti nalang the medicine is not so expensive. The vets say the seizures are due to the damage caused by Distemper but can be managed with medication. Will your dog be completely healed? It depends on how much damage the virus did but the best person to ask would be your vet and maybe also Ed Bond. Email him or visit his website.
5) Mixing with other dogs – don’t mix your Distemper survivor with other dogs until he/she is clear of the Virus. To find out if she had completely shed the virus, you need to bring her/him to the vet for another Distemper test.
Very happy that your doggie is recovering!