Save Dogs from Canine Distemper: Frequently Asked Questions
Will these treatments save my dog from distemper?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is that it depends on whether your dog will be treated fast enough. Dr. Sears recommends that a dog be treated within six days of seeing symptoms. Unfortunately, many dog owners do not find out about this treatment until it is nearly too late. And often if the treatment is delayed too long other opportunistic diseases can set in. By then, even if the distemper symptoms are reversed, the dog could still die of the other diseases. In medical science there are no absolute guarantees, but if a dog is treated quickly and properly with Dr. Sears’ protocols, there is an excellent chance of recovery.
How do these treatments work?
We don’t know the full story, yet. But here’s a possible explanation: The treatments are based on the Newcastle Disease Vaccine (NDV). Newcastle Disease is something that infects chickens. The vaccine was designed to give chickens immunity from the disease, but in the dog something else entirely happens. The Newcastle Vaccine may create a thunderstorm of activity within the dog’s T-cell immune system. We think this unleashes a previously unknown class of cytokines – proteins that create an immune response – that can enter a cell infected with distemper and kill the virus. We don’t know how or why, but it works and it works quickly, often within 24 hours.
What are the symptoms of distemper?
Distemper is often seen in two stages. In the first pre-neurological stage – before neurologic problems – you may see hardening of the pads of feet, dulling of the eyes, mucous in the nose, coughing and respiratory trouble. Distemper attacks every system of the dog, so the damage is happening everywhere and there are symptoms you may not see. It can attack the stomach and make your dog vomit. For a while it may not attack the nervous system, this is because of the blood-brain barrier. However, it will eventually attack the oligodendrocytes, which controls the production and protection of myelin. With the destruction of the myelin sheath that protects the nerves, the neurological stage begins with seizures. The neurologic problems could be seen as chorea – a kind of involuntary twitching and shuddering – as well as a loss of balance, chewing gum seizures – which look like the dog is trying to chew a piece of gum – to a full-body shaking and convulsions. Since other diseases may mimic the symptoms of distemper, your first step should be to confirm that your dog has the disease. Your vet can take a blood test for you, but by the time you get the results back the dog may be too sick to help. We recommend you get the blood tested anyway, but then treat for distemper without waiting for the results. Then later if the test does come back positive for distemper, you know you have saved your dog. But Dr. Sears has come up with a faster test called the Brush Border Smear.
So, what kind of treatment will save my dog?
That depends on how old your dog is and what kind of symptoms you are seeing. If your dog is pre-neurological, your dog might be treated with Dr. Sears’ serum. If the dog is old enough — more than 12 weeks — and has a strong enough of an immune system, an injection of the NDV vaccine may actually be all that is needed. Some dogs recover that easily. If the animal is too young a puppy or has a compromised immune system, you will need to use the serum. If the dog is neurological, then the treatment is an injection of the NDV vaccine into the spinal canal. This allows the treatment to attack the distemper virus that is destroying the nervous system.
What is Dr Sears’ serum?
The serum is created by using a donor dog, which is injected with the NDV vaccine. The donor dog’s immune system is triggered and at a crucial time, blood is drawn from the donor. The serum is made from this blood and then can be used to save a dog in the pre-neurological stage. If used within the first six days of symptoms, the serum can stop a dog from ever having seizures.
Is the donor dog hurt?
No. When done properly in a veterinary clinic and monitored by a vet, the creation of the serum does not hurt the donor dog.
But why doesn’t every vet use this treatment?
Because this is not taught in veterinary schools, and it is not yet published in a veterinary journal. It has not yet been accepted by the veterinary community. But that doesn’t mean it is not valid. It is a new idea, a previously unknown ally in our battle against disease. And it was discovered by accident, by a simple veterinarian in a California desert community, not at a major research facility or university. In 1970, Dr. Sears tried to present his discovery to a veterinary conference in Las Vegas, but he was told to “sit down, that’s impossible.” So, he sat down and then spent years quietly saving hundreds of dogs from this disease. His work drew no attention until it was published on a Web site in 2000, and it has only been in the past couple of years since his retirement that other vets have quietly picked up his work. It will be a long road before these treatments attain publication and acceptance. Still, we have faith that this will happen eventually.
And who are you?
We are Save Dogs From Canine Distemper, a project run by Kind Hearts in Action, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles to rescue and find homes for stray dogs. The project director for Save Dogs From Canine Distemper is Ed Bond, whose dog, Galen, was saved by Dr. Sears in 1997. When Galen’s story was published on the Internet in 2000, Dr. Sears finally posted the protocol for his anti-distemper serum.
Tell me more about Dr. Sears
Dr. Al Sears was born in the Canal Zone of Panama. He went to the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California at Davis and spent 40 years practicing small animal medicine in Lancaster, Calif. He retired in 2006. More information: http://alsears.wordpress.com/
How do I find a vet who can perform these treatments?
E-mail us at savedistemperdogs@yahoo.com. Tell us how old your dog is, what symptoms you are seeing, how long you have seen them and what region of the world you live. Also, before you panic, please get a diagnosis that you have a distemper case. The fastest way to diagnose is through the Brush Border Smear. Anyone who lives in the Philippines should also check out the blog from Clarisse Quitco-Tanner about how her dog Icy was saved: http://clarissequitco.multiply.com/photos/album/51/Icys_Canine_Distemper.
I would like o get more info.
I got your e-mail and sent you contact info for vets who can help.
I need to know where I can find a vet in Texas to help. Please.
I saw your comment and sent you an e-mail with information.
Greetings, We adopted a month old puppy, Manny, from the pound and he has displaced symptoms of distemper (nasal discharge, coughing, fever, constant diarrhea). The vet gave us antibiotics (doxcycline)for possible infections, and another for the diarrhea. So far those are the only symptoms Manny is showing. I’ve read that the NDV needs to be injected by the 6th day…that would be tomorrow. Please tell me where I can purchase the NDV in Houston, TX. I am willing to drive to Austin, but I prefer to do the injection myself as I cannot afford a vet. Thank you, Tam
I’ve sent you some information. If you have trouble paying for the shot, please contact us again. We may be able to help you.
Hello, sir. My question is, if the dog already sick for 1 or 2 months, is it still possible to save him using the treatment? And is it possible for me to have Dr. Sears phone number, so my vet can actually communicate with him if there’s any question. Coz I live in a different time zone. It’s rather hard to communicate via email.
Thank you, Yuli
From what I have learned about this, after one or two months the odds of survival are low. However, it may be that if your dog has survived the respiratory phase of distemper and is now only battling a chronic, ongoing form of the neurologic disease, there may be something that can be done to help your dog. Please e-mail me directly at savedistemperdogs@yahoo.com so we can continue this directly. I will help your vet connect with Dr. Sears if he/she is interested in pursuing the treatment.
I’d like some more info. I live in northern New Jersey. I think my 5 months old Maltese has CDV. I think he got it from vaccination, but not so sure.
Please contact us at savedistemperdogs@yahoo.com. You need to get a diagnosis before anything else. Dr. Sears has a test he recommends that is quick and easy. It is called the Brush Border Smear. You can read about it here: http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/11/08/the-brush-border-smear/
Help!! about 2 weeks ago I went to a park took my dog with me he really loves walking well last week i noticed he was acting a little strange but thought maybe she was just acting up because my girlfriend moved in she is 1year(dec 26) old belgium malanois she has had her shots for this disease but for some reason she has the same symptoms as all the stories I have seen last friday i left town and left her with my grandpa I returned today to his request because she wasnt eating and she had shakes like parkansen deisease or something I took her to a Vet this morning and verified and yes she has all the sypmtoms I live in Mexico and here are the shots he gave her (Kinoselen ,Baytril,and Yatren Careina ..I think the last one is mispeled) but he said that if she got better by tomorrow to take her in again to give her I.V. and if she didnt react to it that I would have to put her to sleep. the latter is not an option for me I want to know what other shots would work I live in Monterrey, Mexico and called dosen of vets and they tell me the same thing (put her to sleep)
It sounds like you need to get a diagnosis first. There are other conditions that can mimic distemper. Dr. Sears has a quick way to find out if the dog is within 10 days of symptoms:
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/11/08/the-brush-border-smear/
It also sounds like if this is distemper, you are in the neurologic stage. There is a treatment that can still help your dog:
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/11/05/treatment-of-neurologic-distemper/
If your vet in Mexico cannot help, I have contacts I can send you. Please contact us directly at savedistemperdogs@yahoo.com
Hi! We bought a shih tzu puppy we named as Thomas, as a gift to our son since he wants to have a dog badly. We had him last January 9, 2009. He was born October 20, 2009. He’s turning 3 months old tomorrow. After 2 days, I noticed he had cough and brought him to the vet on January 12. The vet said he has colds and gave him antibiotics. He was doing quite well after taking the meds for 3 days until he doesn’t want to eat last Sunday, January 17 and had fever and didn’t want to eat. We rushed him to the vet and he gave him antipyretic shot. When we got home, he was feeling fine and was back to normal, he ate his food and played with us. But yesterday, he didn’t have fever but doesn’t want to eat again. I took him to another vet this morning and the new vet confined Thomas in her clinic. She said he’s dehydrated already and let’s hope it’s not Distemper. I didn’t know anything about the disease until the new vet discussed to me what distemper was. And she said if it’s Distemper, we couldn’t do anything about it anymore and this news breaks our hearts. Thomas has been with us for 10 days now but we love him so much. Please let me know if the treatment is available here in our country. I live in the Philippines. We don’t want to lose him.
Yes. It has been used successfully and repeatedly in the Philippines. I’ve sent you the information. There is hope.
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Newcastle is a reportable disease in the US because if it hits the birds in the poultry industry, it will potentially wipe out the industry. How do we know the Newcastle vaccine –meant for birds, no? — put into a heathy dog does not shed into the environment. And if the vaccine somehow causes virus or particles of virus to shed from the donor dog’s body, could this infect nearby birds and then spread to other birds?
How do you know the dogs that have been treated would not have gotten better with supportive care, and not the benefit of the vaccine antibody serum added to the protocol?
Are you using any other adjuctive treatments at the same time, like homeopathic remedies?
-Doc Truli
Response from Dr. Sears:
As any graduate professional should know at this time in history that vaccines as used are incapacitated viruses. They are meant to illicit a response of the B-cell immune system and not to cause disease. If as suggest this vaccine were a live virus and administered to a flock of chickens or dogs then they would be a source of major contagion and out break of this disease in birds across the nation. Not so! Also within a period of 10 to 14 days a massive immune response is created in a mammal when injected with this vaccine which precludes the ability of that animal to shed the virus. As used by me it creates a massive t-cell immune reaction ( not B-cell, not antibody) in the fIrst 12 to 24 hours injurious to some, not all viruses ,(distemper in particular) which has the ability to attack said viruses inside the cell eliminating the distemper virus in a very short period of time. Once a distemper virus is intracellular antibodies to it cannot stop the virus. NDV induced serum CAN. For obvious reasons. “Let those who say it cannot be done get out of the way of those who can and do”
We know from vast experience that supportive care is a death sentence to the majority of distemper infected animals. (dogs as well as other species) Antibody serum has been tried for the 45 years that I have been a practicing vet WITHOUT success in treating sick animals with distemper. The reason for vaccinating donor dogs is so that you are not transmitting other diseases when giving the NDV induced serum to sick animals. No reason to give a second infectious disease. As for adjunct treatments, homeopathic techniques, chinese herbals, essence scent inhalers, antibiotics and fluids all of which have been used UNSUCCESSFULLY all these years, I leave it to the believers to use these techniques and watch their patients die . If you believe ANY of these other procedures other than a timely vaccine works , then just visit a pound for 2 months and watch the sick animals try to survive with their procedures. (see above ) I’m sure that in the future other procedures will be developed that will be successful. At this time in history my NDV induced serum is the ONLY one that has worked well inside the medical bell curve. Success is judged in the results. Good luck. Al Sears DVM
Our 13 week old puppy, Aston, was officially diagnosed with Distemper on Saturday, March 6. He was experiencing the twitching in both of his back legs, plus his front right leg, plus on the top left of his head, and he was admitted to the NCSU Animal Hospital that day. He had been treated with Clavimox and Doxicycline for the entire week prior for an URI/Pneumonia. He has been treated with supportive care (steriods, Clavimox, and iv fluids) since Saturday morning. We live in North Carolina, and many of your stories take place in other states. My questions are:
1) Is it too late for Aston to have this treatment?
2) If it isn’t too late, what could we expect if he were to get it?
3) Is there even a vet in NC that is willing to administer it?
4) How expensive would it be to give Aston the necessary vaccines? (He weighs 24 pounds.)
Thanks for any info. you can provide.
I’ve sent you answers to your questions. But I wanted to answer this in part here.
1) It is not too late. There is hope.
2) As to what to expect, you should watch this video:
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2010/01/30/kaliber-treated-for-neurologic-distemper/
3) Sorry, no one in NC who is doing the treatments, but I have sent you contact info for a well-recommended vet.
4) A spinal tap treatment can usually range from $500 to $1500 depending on the vet and extenuating circumstances.
Please let us know what happens.
Good day, I am in desperate need for help, my bull mastiff who is 9years old has confirmed distemper, he has been for treatment at our vet here in Boksburg South Africa but it doesn’t seem to be helping. He now cannot get up and it seems as if he is paralysed. I am at my wits end and I don’t know what to do or who to go to here in South Africa.I love my dog so much and I will do anything to save him. Is there someone in South Africa – Boksburg Gauteng that could help me to help him.Please please help me.I don’t want him to die or be put down.
I’m sorry. I don’t know of any vets in South Africa who are using these treatments … yet. But you might able to get a vet near you to consider giving this a try. We have a lot of information available online. This has been done successfully all over the world. I had tried to e-mail you a response, but it got bounced back. Here is the information on the treatments:
Pre-neurological:
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/11/05/anti-distemper-serum/
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2010/01/11/using-the-ndv-before-seizures/
For the dog with seizures, you need the spinal tap treatment:
Here are the pages that explains neurologic treatment:
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/11/05/treatment-of-neurologic-distemper/
http://kindheartsinaction.com/2009/12/17/dr-sears-describes-a-spinal-tap/
Also, here is where you can get a PDF download to give your vet:
http://www.edbond.com/NDV_packet.pdf
Good luck and let me know what happens,
Ed Bond