Distemper ? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

sam · 07-20-2006, 11:35 AM

Hi,

My name is Mariska, I am Dutch but live in Portugal. I bought a baby Yorkie 2 weeks ago. His name is Sam. When I brought him home he was fine. After 4 days he started coughing, vomiting blood ( old blood) and having diarrea. I went to the vet because he was really doing bad. The vet did a bloodtest and it came out that his bloodsugar was way to low : 2. The docter decided to keep him for the night. He warned me that it could be the Parvovirus. The next morning the vet did the Parvo test and it came out negative. Sam recovered very well with the antibiotics. Now 10 days later his cough is back again. I went to the vet today and she made xrays. His lungs showed a bronchitis. Now this vet told me that it could be Distemper................. Since the pattern of healthproblems develop in the way it has been developing with Sam.

He is now home and again on antibiotics. If the distempertest comes out positive we really have a problem, because in most cases this is deadly to pups ( Sam is now 3 months and 4 days)

Does anyone have experience with these infections on puppies ?

In Europe we have a huge problem with illegal dogtrade coming from Eastern European countries. The pups are transported in vans to Italy, Belgium and Holland and half of them dont even survive the trip. They are not vaccinated nour dewormed ( did I write that well ?). After they are sold in shops or at farms. Nowadays it is almost impossible to know wether you,re buying a healthy dog since their documents are falsified as well.
Believe me, we are putting a lawyer on the man that sold us the pup !

Any advice is welcome !

Mariska

Lacy's Mom · 07-20-2006, 04:16 PM

Welcome Mariska,

We don't see distemper very often here because of vaccinations. It does sound like it is possible that is what he has, but it could be many other things too. Are you see any neurological (brain) symptoms like seizures, twitching, paralysis, unbalanced, etc.

Since he's not eating well, give him Nutrical or Nutristat if you have it there or give a small amount of corn syrup or honey (1/4 of a teaspoon) 3 or 4 times a day to prevent the low blood sugar from happening again.

Try to get him to eat boiled chicken and rice or baby food chicken in a jar.

Also give Pedialyte (infant electrolyte solution) by syringe every hour around the clock to restore his electrolytes and prevent him from becoming dehydrated. Good intensive care will at least give him a chance to fight the disease.

Also humans in contact with the dog should be vaccinated against measles.

I'll say a prayer for Sam and hope for the best. Please keep us updated.

red98vett · 07-20-2006, 05:50 PM

I'm so sorry he's sick and hope they can find out what's wrong and get him better - all the best to you.

JeanieK · 07-20-2006, 05:59 PM

That really sounds serious. I hope he gets well. Keep us posted.

peanut · 07-20-2006, 06:03 PM

I am so sorry Sam is sick, I hope they find out whats wrong with him soon & he gets better soon...

Patti · 07-20-2006, 06:03 PM

I hope SAm is ok. When I got Cali she had coccidia diagnosed from a stool sample and this is a parasite that weakens the puppy, Cali also got Kennel Cough (bronchitis) gave it to my other dog and they both had it for 3 months even after 3 rounds of antibiotics. They both recovered completely with time. Cali also had 3 hypoglycemic episodes. So Hopefully Sam will make a full recovery and it is not Distemper but more so some minor treatable conditions. If you haven't had his stool checked you probably should. Cali had a unhealthy first 7 months but is doing so much better now at 1 year old. Keep us posted I will keep Sam in my prayers.

Yorkie3 · 07-20-2006, 06:19 PM

Sending prayers your way....

Lacy's Mom · 07-22-2006, 05:13 PM

Mariska,

How is Sam doing?

jode88 · 07-23-2006, 01:01 AM

I have a puppy names Sam as well. He is a rescue and had kennel cough when we got him. Within 5 days he was bad, no eating, drinking, weak and very labored breathing. After visiting 2 different vets he was admitted to the hospital as he was dehydrated. (we did try the pedialite w/syring w/no luck).
Make a long story short, we took him for a second opinion cuz the first vet thought it was distemper. Turn out it was pneumonia. Pneumonia is a symptom of distemper but it wasnt distemper. He was in the hospital for 3 days and made a full recovery. Its been a month and he is a happy healthy pup!

sam · 07-23-2006, 02:36 AM

Thank you for your sweet replies !

Sam is doing a bit better from the coughing.
He is taking 2 types of antibiotics now. He act as a normal puppy. Besides the antibiotics he got a de-worm cure. Yesterday we found a worm on the floor in the house. I checked the web and found out that these worms can also cause a lot of healthproblems : diarea, vomiting, coughing etc. It seems that the eggs of the worms nestle themselves into lungs and liver.

Tomorrow we have to go back to the vet for a check up and I will dicuss this with her. I think considering the crisis Sam has had 2 weeks ago, the vet obviously thought of the worst.

Well, let,s see how things develop. For now I sleep every night on the couch with Sam, for some reason the doesn,t couch as much in the livingroom as in the bedroom...

I will keep you updated after the vet tomorrow.

Best regards, Mariska

ladyt · 07-23-2006, 04:42 AM

We will be praying for Sam. Please keep us posted!

doortego · 07-23-2006, 05:13 AM

Glad to hear Sam is doing better. He is lucky to have such a good Mommy. I am sure he will make a full recovery and give you many years of loving companionship. I was just wondering if the puppies are transported so poorly in Europe, are they really inexpensive? Are there health or animal protection agencies that look into this type of thing? It always saddens me to think of living beings, human or animal, suffrring at the hands of greedy people. Good luck. Donna

sam · 07-23-2006, 08:55 AM

Hi Donna,

Thanks for your message.
The dogs in Europe are not at all cheap, we for instance paid 700 Euro for this Yorkshire. And we didn,t even get a pedigree....

It just that coutries in the Eastern Europe are exporting a lot of pups under very bad conditions. It is a malpractice that is very hard to avoid since documents are falsified.

Nowadays you can never be sure if the dog comes out of a good nest or not or if he/she has received the proper vaccins....

doortego · 07-23-2006, 10:16 AM

I have no idea what 700 euros amounts to in dollars but it doesn't sound like a good price for a sick dog. I am glad that you are following up on making the seller responsible. I just can't stand that these people are profiting from harming these defenseless puppies. I'm sure I paid way too much for mine but the lady seemed to have a nice place and I thought that I wanted a puppy that had been well taken care of. She did tell me that she shouldn't grow to more than two lbs and she weighs 2 lbs at 3 1/2 months so I guess that is out the window. Had I studied a little more before I would have known more questions to ask but I think we are getting over the coccidiosis and after an ear shaving, they perked up. I was just easy because the other Yorkie I had YEARS AGO turned out to have floppy ears and weigh 10#. Of course, I loved him to death and knew I would this one as well. In all honesty, I really didn't expect her to be 2# but thought surely she wouldn't be ten and I don't think that she will be. I've since learned that there are many reasons a puppy may be smaller than what you are told are its littermates. This lady had several different age litters so you never really know who the parents are, you just have to do your research and hopefully trust your breeder. Anyway, Sorry for rambling on, guess this should have been a PM. Good luck.

sam · 07-27-2006, 02:11 AM

Hello everybody,

Just wanted to let you know that Sam is doing much better.
The coughing is still there though.

I went for advice to another docter and he said that it is not likely to be kennel cough because this is already going on for 4 weeks now.
He told me to give this hairball pasta to Sam during 3 days. He thinks that perhaps the coughing is caused by hairs stuck in his throat. I have checked his feaces and in fact I find a lot of hairs in it.

Has anyone ever heard of this ?

I hope the problem is a simple as this and that after the hairball pasta the coughing will get less in a few days.

07-20-2006, 11:35 AM	#1
sam YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: lisbon Posts: 5	Distemper ? Hi, My name is Mariska, I am Dutch but live in Portugal. I bought a baby Yorkie 2 weeks ago. His name is Sam. When I brought him home he was fine. After 4 days he started coughing, vomiting blood ( old blood) and having diarrea. I went to the vet because he was really doing bad. The vet did a bloodtest and it came out that his bloodsugar was way to low : 2. The docter decided to keep him for the night. He warned me that it could be the Parvovirus. The next morning the vet did the Parvo test and it came out negative. Sam recovered very well with the antibiotics. Now 10 days later his cough is back again. I went to the vet today and she made xrays. His lungs showed a bronchitis. Now this vet told me that it could be Distemper................. Since the pattern of healthproblems develop in the way it has been developing with Sam. He is now home and again on antibiotics. If the distempertest comes out positive we really have a problem, because in most cases this is deadly to pups ( Sam is now 3 months and 4 days) Does anyone have experience with these infections on puppies ? In Europe we have a huge problem with illegal dogtrade coming from Eastern European countries. The pups are transported in vans to Italy, Belgium and Holland and half of them dont even survive the trip. They are not vaccinated nour dewormed ( did I write that well ?). After they are sold in shops or at farms. Nowadays it is almost impossible to know wether you,re buying a healthy dog since their documents are falsified as well. Believe me, we are putting a lawyer on the man that sold us the pup ! Any advice is welcome ! Mariska

07-20-2006, 05:50 PM	#3
red98vett Yorkie Kisses are the Best! Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Houston TX Posts: 33,590 Blog Entries: 1	I'm so sorry he's sick and hope they can find out what's wrong and get him better - all the best to you. __________________ Villette, Chanel & Cheri www.DesignsByVillette.net Custom Address Labels and Note Cards using YOUR Photos! Just Click HERE!

07-20-2006, 06:03 PM	#5
peanut Dogs Rule Cats Drool! Donating Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tennessee Posts: 7,895	I am so sorry Sam is sick, I hope they find out whats wrong with him soon & he gets better soon... __________________ KIM

07-20-2006, 06:03 PM	#6
Patti Donating YT 30K Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 35,509 Blog Entries: 6	I hope SAm is ok. When I got Cali she had coccidia diagnosed from a stool sample and this is a parasite that weakens the puppy, Cali also got Kennel Cough (bronchitis) gave it to my other dog and they both had it for 3 months even after 3 rounds of antibiotics. They both recovered completely with time. Cali also had 3 hypoglycemic episodes. So Hopefully Sam will make a full recovery and it is not Distemper but more so some minor treatable conditions. If you haven't had his stool checked you probably should. Cali had a unhealthy first 7 months but is doing so much better now at 1 year old. Keep us posted I will keep Sam in my prayers. __________________ Cali Pixie Roxie : RIP Nikki; RIP Maya;RIP my sweet Dixie girl 1/17/08 http://callipuppyscastle.bravehost.com/index.html

07-20-2006, 06:19 PM	#7
Yorkie3 Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 4,685	Sending prayers your way.... __________________ Janet

07-20-2006, 04:16 PM	#2
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	Welcome Mariska, We don't see distemper very often here because of vaccinations. It does sound like it is possible that is what he has, but it could be many other things too. Are you see any neurological (brain) symptoms like seizures, twitching, paralysis, unbalanced, etc. Since he's not eating well, give him Nutrical or Nutristat if you have it there or give a small amount of corn syrup or honey (1/4 of a teaspoon) 3 or 4 times a day to prevent the low blood sugar from happening again. Try to get him to eat boiled chicken and rice or baby food chicken in a jar. Also give Pedialyte (infant electrolyte solution) by syringe every hour around the clock to restore his electrolytes and prevent him from becoming dehydrated. Good intensive care will at least give him a chance to fight the disease. Also humans in contact with the dog should be vaccinated against measles. I'll say a prayer for Sam and hope for the best. Please keep us updated.

07-20-2006, 05:59 PM	#4
JeanieK Donating YT 12K Club Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Council Bluffs Iowa Posts: 12,552	That really sounds serious. I hope he gets well. Keep us posted.

07-22-2006, 05:13 PM	#8
Lacy's Mom YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: El Paso, Texas Posts: 3,065	How is Sam doing? Mariska, How is Sam doing?

07-23-2006, 01:01 AM	#9
jode88 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: DFW Posts: 1	I have a puppy names Sam as well. He is a rescue and had kennel cough when we got him. Within 5 days he was bad, no eating, drinking, weak and very labored breathing. After visiting 2 different vets he was admitted to the hospital as he was dehydrated. (we did try the pedialite w/syring w/no luck). Make a long story short, we took him for a second opinion cuz the first vet thought it was distemper. Turn out it was pneumonia. Pneumonia is a symptom of distemper but it wasnt distemper. He was in the hospital for 3 days and made a full recovery. Its been a month and he is a happy healthy pup!

07-23-2006, 02:36 AM	#10
sam YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: lisbon Posts: 5	News about Sam Thank you for your sweet replies ! Sam is doing a bit better from the coughing. He is taking 2 types of antibiotics now. He act as a normal puppy. Besides the antibiotics he got a de-worm cure. Yesterday we found a worm on the floor in the house. I checked the web and found out that these worms can also cause a lot of healthproblems : diarea, vomiting, coughing etc. It seems that the eggs of the worms nestle themselves into lungs and liver. Tomorrow we have to go back to the vet for a check up and I will dicuss this with her. I think considering the crisis Sam has had 2 weeks ago, the vet obviously thought of the worst. Well, let,s see how things develop. For now I sleep every night on the couch with Sam, for some reason the doesn,t couch as much in the livingroom as in the bedroom... I will keep you updated after the vet tomorrow. Best regards, Mariska

07-23-2006, 04:42 AM	#11
ladyt YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 837	We will be praying for Sam. Please keep us posted! __________________ Ladyt (Tammy) & Kiki There has to be a God, because he made Yorkies!

07-23-2006, 05:13 AM	#12
doortego Little Bit & Buttons Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: US Posts: 2,160	Sam Glad to hear Sam is doing better. He is lucky to have such a good Mommy. I am sure he will make a full recovery and give you many years of loving companionship. I was just wondering if the puppies are transported so poorly in Europe, are they really inexpensive? Are there health or animal protection agencies that look into this type of thing? It always saddens me to think of living beings, human or animal, suffrring at the hands of greedy people. Good luck. Donna

07-23-2006, 08:55 AM	#13
sam YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: lisbon Posts: 5	Hi Donna, Thanks for your message. The dogs in Europe are not at all cheap, we for instance paid 700 Euro for this Yorkshire. And we didn,t even get a pedigree.... It just that coutries in the Eastern Europe are exporting a lot of pups under very bad conditions. It is a malpractice that is very hard to avoid since documents are falsified. Nowadays you can never be sure if the dog comes out of a good nest or not or if he/she has received the proper vaccins....

07-23-2006, 10:16 AM	#14
doortego Little Bit & Buttons Donating Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: US Posts: 2,160	European Dogs I have no idea what 700 euros amounts to in dollars but it doesn't sound like a good price for a sick dog. I am glad that you are following up on making the seller responsible. I just can't stand that these people are profiting from harming these defenseless puppies. I'm sure I paid way too much for mine but the lady seemed to have a nice place and I thought that I wanted a puppy that had been well taken care of. She did tell me that she shouldn't grow to more than two lbs and she weighs 2 lbs at 3 1/2 months so I guess that is out the window. Had I studied a little more before I would have known more questions to ask but I think we are getting over the coccidiosis and after an ear shaving, they perked up. I was just easy because the other Yorkie I had YEARS AGO turned out to have floppy ears and weigh 10#. Of course, I loved him to death and knew I would this one as well. In all honesty, I really didn't expect her to be 2# but thought surely she wouldn't be ten and I don't think that she will be. I've since learned that there are many reasons a puppy may be smaller than what you are told are its littermates. This lady had several different age litters so you never really know who the parents are, you just have to do your research and hopefully trust your breeder. Anyway, Sorry for rambling on, guess this should have been a PM. Good luck.

07-27-2006, 02:11 AM	#15
sam YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: lisbon Posts: 5	Sam Hello everybody, Just wanted to let you know that Sam is doing much better. The coughing is still there though. I went for advice to another docter and he said that it is not likely to be kennel cough because this is already going on for 4 weeks now. He told me to give this hairball pasta to Sam during 3 days. He thinks that perhaps the coughing is caused by hairs stuck in his throat. I have checked his feaces and in fact I find a lot of hairs in it. Has anyone ever heard of this ? I hope the problem is a simple as this and that after the hairball pasta the coughing will get less in a few days.