I received an e-mail today from someone asking about the studies and research into Dr. Sears’ treatments. I thought I’d post part of my reply here:
Thanks for your e-mail. It’s nice to hear from someone who is not already in the midst of a crisis, which is how it is usually when someone finds me. First off, I should explain that I’m not a vet. I’m a college journalism professor whose dog was saved years ago by Dr. Al Sears, and I run these Web sites on his behalf.
To begin with, here is where you can get a PDF download on the treatments using Dr. Sears’ Newcastle Disease Vaccine treatments:
http://www.edbond.com/NDV_packet.pdf
Now, to answer your question about research data and studies.
This treatment is as yet unpublished. Dr. Sears used these treatments for 40 years while he was a practicing vet, planning to publish his discovery after he retired. But when he sought publication, he was rejected, most likely because he lacked a control group. He has treated and saved something like 600 dogs in his career, but the publications rejected his work because he did not have a control group. Dr. Sears had a problem with the ethics of that — and he discusses that on the DVD — because it meant letting one group of distemper dogs die.
However I can tell you is that since December 2008, I have been networking and promoting this treatment online, building up an informal track record of successful cases. Dogs have been saved using these treatments around the U.S. and the world. I have received testimonials, photos and videos from dog owners from around the world and posted them on the Kind Hearts In Action Web site. You can find those stories starting here:
After a dog owner contacts me or Dr. Sears, the dog usually can be saved unless it doesn’t get treated in time. Sometimes people just find us too late and the distemper virus has done too much damage. Sometimes a dog can be treated and the vet will see the distemper damage start to reverse, but another infection like pneumonia will kill the dog. There was also a case in the Dominican Republic where a dog suffered some sort of post-treatment infection, but we are not sure what happened. And sadly, I just heard of a case this week where a dog was treated and the owner did not wait to see the recovery and had the dog euthanized the day after treatment.
That was probably a result of someone who — BTW, did not have contact with me ahead of time — had unrealistic expectations for the treatment. This is not a miracle cure, guaranteed to immediately erase all traces of distemper symptoms. There are no absolute guarrantees in medical science. However, we believe these treatments can kill the distemper virus in the dog. If a dog is treated with Dr. Sears’ serum before going through the sixth day of symptoms — before seizures — the survival rate is in the high 90s. Between Day 6 and Day 14, the rate drops to the 80s and drops dramatically after that.
When a dog with seizures is treated with the spinal tap treatment, the owner may still see seizures for a while, but slowly there will be an improvement. It can happen within days, within weeks or over the course of months, depending on the dog and how much damage had been caused.
This may be more information than you expected, but there is much disbelief in the veterinary community about this, so I try to be as open and complete as I can.
Please check out my Web sites. We are also on Facebook. You can find those links through the Kind Hearts In Action site.
First of all I would like to thank you for the help you have provided me to save my dog.
Lucas is a German shepherd puppy who I bought on January 27, 2010. The first day I had him I took him to the vet to check him out and to vaccinate him. Distemper test was negative. That day he also got his second dose of distemper vaccine.
Last Wednesday (February 17th) Lucas woke up with fever, depressed and he didn’t want to eat. I took him to the vet, the doctor who attended him earlier was off that day. The new doctor made a hemogram and determined Lucas had anemia and some kind of infection. Lucas started a treatment or five days that day with antibiotics and injection every day to increase red blood cells. On Friday, Lucas showed no sign of recovery so the Doctor decided to make the distemper test that was positive. Lucas at that moment presented no seizures and only fever some eyes secretion and a nose secretion, he never coughed. At this time I was recommended to put Lucas to sleep since that veterinarian clinic had never had success treating distemper. I refused to put him to sleep and started to search for an alternative treatment on Internet and that’s when I found kindheartsinction web page. Since the veterinary clinic policy was to put to sleep or to take Lucas home, I asked the Doctor at least to give Lucas the NDV treatment which the doctor gave Lucas Friday afternoon.
On Saturday, Lucas presented no nose secretion, and he was better emotionally. He was eating but not too much.
Sunday was about the same.
Yesterday he didn’t eat in the morning until midnoon. But in the afternoon he got a lot better and was behaving normally as a healthy puppy.
Today Lucas shows no symptoms of distemper.
I have another story. There is another dog (mixed breed) who my sister and I pick up from the street. She is about 9 months old. This dog that my sister named Joana we also took her to the vet and check her for distemper which was negative on February 6. Joana presented same symptoms that Lucas presented 3 days after him, but distemper was negative that day. Since she kept having fever, we did the distemper test 3 days after and this time it was positive. Yesterday she was given the NDV treatment. I will let you know about her recovery.
I really have hope that Lucas and Joana will be saved.
This is the TRUE story of one, sad, forgotten dog who didn’t have a name (She was later named Trixie by the shelter staff). Trix was emaciated, depressed, literally skin & bones.
Trix is a mixed dog that was labeled as a stray who ended up in the shelter. She was put up for adoption but no one wanted Trix & she went on the euthansia list.
Vanessa, who volunteers at the shelter, saw Trixie & said, “She’s a sweet dog & she does not deserve to die!” so she posted her picture like crazy on Facebook & begged someone, anyone to step up & foster Trixie but no one would step up.
I saw Trixie’s picture & was shocked to see the resemblance to my family dog Ginger! Trixie looked like Ginger’s biological sister, so I tried really hard to find her a foster. I too, posted her online on FB & craigslist. But no one wanted to foster her!
On what would have been the last day of Trixie’s life, I emailed Vanessa & said, “I will take her! Hurry! Go get her!” I thought that if there was even the slightest chance that she infact, was my dog Ginger’s biological sister, that I owed it to Ginger to step up & take in her sister!
Veronica, who is Vanessa’s friend, another dog advocate & shelter volunteer, rushed to the shelter through 5 o’clock traffic in Miami & LUCKILY got Trixie in time & saved her from euthansia.
Vanessa & Veronica drove over 45 miles to my house at night to make sure Trixie arrived at her foster destination!
Trix walked into my house at 10:30 PM on 1/27/10. Yes, Trix was finally safe but very sick. None of us knew just how sick she really was….
I took her to the vet the next day, who examined her & said she did not think she would make it. Literally HUNDREDS of dollars (Thanks to Verinoca & Robin, who paid the vet bills) were spent on Trixie who got IV’s every few days, shots, she was tested for everything from parasites to things like Parvo, Distemper, Heartworms, etc. She had x-rays, you name it…. this poor dog was tested for it! Eventually, Trixie was diagnosed with severe Bronchitis & Distemper. Again, the Vet told me that most dogs don’t make it through Distemper. So I prayed, I begged God, I begged & begged & begged for her life.
Trixie was put on 2 different antibiotics twice a day. She wouldn’t eat or drink so she had to have IV’s every few days. She could not poop & I honestly think that she was so sick and so starved that she was ready to die. She had a high fever of 103.7, she was coughing, hacking, she had nose discharge, eye discharge, her body was dying but I refused to let her die!!!!!!!
I hand fed her with a spoon piece by piece. I made her poop by walking her for an hour, several times a day until she went! I sometimes had to wet a cloth & wipe her but to stimulate her to poop! She would not drink any water so I held a coffee cup for 15 minutes at a time under her mouth until she took a few sips. I forced pills down her throat even though she didn’t like it. I bought her dog vitamins & gave them to her the same way.
I held her like a baby in my arms. I laid on the floor next to her for hours every day & at night. I often talked to her saying, “Trix, you are NOT going to die on me, you good girl…. you fight Trix cause I have so much to show you, you have to be loved Trix before you go & know what it is like to be happy!!!!! But if you have to go baby, I’ll understand. If the time comes & you can’t fight any longer it’s OK sweetheart. I’ll understand!” She used to look me in my eyes as I would talk to her like she knew what I was saying.
I wanted her to live so bad that I searched for something, anything that could help her. I found an experimental drug that cures Distemper from a Doctor in California & I found a man in New York over the Internet who was promoting the drug & I BEGGED him to please let Trixie have the shot! Which she did. He found a local Dr who had the shot & he paid for Trixie to get it!
I have done EVERYTHING I can think of to keep this dog alive & you know what? It’s working! She is doing better! Slowly but surely! She’s not coughing, there’ s no more fever, she’s eating, drinking, pooping & coming alive more & more every day!
Today, for example, was a very good day for Trix! She ran around the house for about 5 minutes & played with a dog toy! For her, as weak as she has been, that’s improvement & a great miracle!
She’s no trouble at all infact, she’s completely house & leash trained & she mostly just follows us around & sleeps. I take her on walks to make sure she expands her lungs & gets lots of fresh air in there & today, she came with me in the car when I went to pick up my daughter from school.
She lives side by side with Ginger & is starting to get along with her much better now but she’s still very protective of her food & her things. Trix will growl, show her teeth & lunge at Ginger if she gets to close to her stuff. Trixie is fine with humans, but she won’t tolerate another dog getting her stuff. It’s understandable because she had to live & survive in the streets & I am sure it’s not easy for a young, skinny, dog on the streets.
The weird thing is that she really might be Ginger’s true biological sister, which could make sense as to why God put her in my path & gave me the courage to step up! They are the same age, I got Ginger from the same pound, they have the same markings, body, colors, faces… it’s weird. Even my vet & everyone who sees them together thinks they are sisters! They look like twins!!!!!!!!!
Now, although it sounds like it’s all down hill from here, it’s not. Trixie is still sick. She’s super skinny & very fragile. She sleeps most of the time. She is so emaciated that a gust of wind could knock her down. You can feel every single bone in her body. There is NO FAT & very little muscle on her. It’s hard to really see it in the pictures I posted but in real life, you can definitely tell. I even had one man stop his car in the street next to us when I was out walking Trix & angrily tell me to feed the dog! If he only would have taken the time to hear my story, but he didn’t, he drove off. Oh well. People can blame me, I don’t care. All I care about it Trix & God knows what I am doing, so that’s all that counts.
It will take a LONG time to get her healthy & fat. I have her on a special diet that I have to cook for her every day of boneless chicken breast, rice, dog food, chicken gravy, cooked eggs & broccoli, cauliflower & carrots all mixed together. I still have to hand feed her with a spoon on some days but as long as she eats, I am happy.
She needs laxatives (I have to put suppossitories in her rectum) every 2-3 days, to make her go poop. I had to give her an enema a week ago b/c she didn’t go for 2 days. She didn’t eat for so long that her stomache & intestines are having to learn to work again.
Yes, she’s work, but it’s the BEST work I’ve ever done in my life! I want to keep fostering her UNTIL she is healthy & fat OR if (God forbid) she requires additional vetrinarian care, that I can’t afford.
Please enjoy these pictures of Trixie, who has made such an impact on my life & who has shown me so much hope, love, faith, joy, compassion, etc. She has been a blessing & she’s also shown my daughter what it means to take a dog that’s on death’s door & nurse it back to health with love.
I vow to care for her & show her love EVERY DAY she is with me & I will never give up on her, as long as I live!
Even though my goal is to have her get healthy & live a long, happy life, I understand that it’s all in God’s hands. If God ends up taking her, if her body gives out & she ends up going to heaven, then at LEAST she will have known that humans are kind & loving. At least she will have experienced how it feels to be held & live in a warm, comfortable home for a little while.
From: Kumar Gaurav Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 12:40 AM To:‘antidistemper@aol.com‘ Subject: Neuro Distemper Treatment for my dog
Dear Sir,
Greetings !!!!!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your treatment protocol, it was very useful.
My dog a Labrador 6 yrs old was initially diagnosed with Distemper by our doctor in Delhi, India,Mr. Ajay Sood. He started the treatment with Mysoline Tablet to stop the jerk in the hind leg as mentioned in the earlier mail sent to you. His health detoriated further and his head too started to vibrate, seeing this the doctor recommended to give the Canglob D Forte injection. Two shots were given at 24 Hours of interval 12ml as per his weight, but no improvement noticed.
Later doctor added two more medicines and that was Complamina Retd, and Encephebol Tab. But still very negligible or noticeable change. With time he started moaning and making sounds constantly I guess because of pain. The doctor gave up hope and said he could do little. I consulted showing the protocol send by you and he agreed upon the New castle vaccine of lasota stain as mentioned by you. He recommended .1cc followed by the DNS 200ml to tackle any shock after that, to start with and also an Meconerv Injection with this treatment, there was a marked improvement and now he moans a little and tries to move around on his own. Since his illness he has been regularly taking his meals and doing his excreta and toilet on his own however he had difficulty to lean on both the hind legs while doing this. We also checked for his fever that was normal though.
His hind leg jerks are of the same magnitude with a little jerk on his forehead which reduced a little after the NDV vaccine. Could you please guide how to proceed next. All the doctors in India have given up hope, I have pinned all my hope on you. Since my pet is at a place where we do not have much facilities for the vet treatment. Somehow we have done his blood test which is enclosed for your reference. I am based in Delhi India from where I am coordinating his treatment.
Kindly advise , you are the only hope. Please help it’s a humble request.
Best regards,
Kumar Gaurav
From Dr. Sears:
You have done all that is required at this time. Now it is a matter of time for all the replacement of Schwann cells by stem cells in the brain. Takes time. some times several months. And, you do not get 100 % compliance. 85 % is usual. Place the dog on anti convulsants if necessary. Do not use unless necessary. Wait. Give it time. Doc Sears
If you cannot get the serum made, a shot of the NDV may be enough if your dog is more than 12 weeks old and does not have an immune system otherwise compromised.
If your dog has not been diagnosed, you need to find out quickly what you are dealing with. This may not be a distemper case.
Distemper is often seen in two stages. In the first pre-neurological stage — before seizures — you may see hardening of the pads of feet, dulling of the eyes, mucous in the nose, coughing, fever 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 cross the barrier and attack the myelin sheath that protects the nerves. That causes seizures, the neurological stage. The seizures could be seen as any kind of involuntary twitching and shuddering and loss of balance in the dog’s body. It could range from chewing gum seizures, which look like the dog is trying to chew a piece of gum, to full-body convulsions. However, there are dozens of other causes for seizures in dogs aside from distemper.
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.
If you do get a diagnosis, you should go here. You can also read our FAQ.
I adopted a small female Rat Terrier from a high kill shelter in Florida. She was found as a stray Jan. 17th and I put a hold on her Jan. 22nd. She was very laid back it the cage and when I visited with her in the viewing room. She was probably sick already.
I brought her home on Jan. 25th, a Monday morning and this is her story. I am positive she had distemper and that the NDV serum given to her by a vet in Cooper City on the 29th absolutely SAVED her life. No distemper test was done because my vet felt it would not really show she had distemper because she was given a distemper shot when she was in the shelter.
Cough started the day after she came home. Took her to my vet, thinking it was kennel cough. He gave her antiobiotics and some dog food that hopefully would get her to eat. He mentioned there had been another instance of dog he had to put down because it got so sick with distemper and said, perhaps, she could have distemper. He said to keep a close eye on her over the weekend. She got worse over the weekend and I researched symptoms of distemper. She started with pitting on her teeth, sick look in eyes, slightly runny eyes, cough, lethargic, 103+ temp for days, not eating (I fed her with syringe – chicken, vitamin and water mix about every 3 hours, lost 1 1/2 lb).. Luckily she had not started any twitching or seizures and I was lucky enough to find the Save Distemper Dogs website and sent them an e-mail right away. They responded within an hour. This was the day I had taken her back to the vet on Mon. morning, Feb. 1st, and he gave her different antiobiotics and said it was out of our hands at this point. I really felt and knew she was going to die if I didn’t do something drastic. Save Distemper Dogs e-mailed me back and gave me the vet closest to me who gives the NDV shot. It was a horrible windy rainy day and the vet and his assistant came out to my car to give her the shot since they didn’t want her in their office. Mimi started eating on her own by that Thursday, her fever broke and she started to recover. I have had dogs for 25+ years and I am convinced she would have gotten much sicker and deteriorated if I hadn’t taken her for the shot. I am so glad there are people out there like Dr. Sears who are not afraid to research and get the word out on saving distemper dogs. And Mimi thanks him too!!
Helena Nesbitt Posted Feb. 10, 2010
UPDATE: 11 years later!
Mimi from Miami now in PA
Helena sent us a new photo showing Mimi, now living in Pennsylvania and doing fine.
