Category: Saved Dogs

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Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Distemper dog saved in South Africa

Tjoppie, before treatment for distemper
 

Received Sept. 1, 2011

13 week old Pitbull Pup with Distemper

My name is Chantel van Rensburg and I’m from Sasolburg, South Africa. My pitbull, Tjoppie, has been diagnosed with Distemper at 11 weeks. We got him on 8 weeks old the 29th of July 2011. I noticed that something was wrong as his eyes were red and he had a discharge from the nose as well as ‘pimples’ on his face and he had diarrhea. I took him to the vet immediately and I was told that he had Kennel Cough, so I they gave me anti-biotics and something to stop the diarrhea. It went well for three or four days and then it started all over again but worse. So I took him back to the vet and they gave other medicine to try. It went well for a week or so, but then I noticed that he was twitching in his one front leg, we first thought that he just get cold easily. But then on Sunday the 21st of August in the evening he was twitching all over his body and worsened during the night. I rushed him to the Bryanston Veterianary Hospital in Sandton Johannesburg, where he was submitted and diagnosed with Distemper and that’s when I was told that there is no cure or treatment. I couldn’t leave it at that and couldn’t believe that death was going to be my puppy’s fate. I took him home and gave him all the love, care and attention that I possibly could and where ever I could make his life easier, I did, even sitting up with him right through the night. It has now been two weeks and so far he has beaten the odds. The discharge from his eyes and nose has stopped, although his nose is still very dry and cracked. The dairrhea has also improved, but its not perfect. The twitching has worsened even more, to the point that it makes his life very uncomfortable, he’s crying and moaning all the time.

Does he have neurological distemper or is he now in that stage? Is there still hope for him? Can the virus still be treated? And if it still can be treated, is there a vet in South Africa that does the treatment, because I will travel to where ever he his. If there is any hope for my puppy, I want to give my pup the best or any chance there is. I have tried finding one by presenting them with your procedures on how to produce the serum, but no success, either they don’t have the guts to try it or just don’t have the passion and love for dogs to care enough to trey it.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!! I AM DESPERATE!!!!!

Kind Regards

Chantel van Rensburg

Tjoppie gets hydro therapy, spa and swimming, after his treatment for distemper.
   
Received Dec. 5, 2011
Good Morning,
My pup went for the treatment 3 months ago, I found a doctor in Darling, Western Cape, South Africa who has made the serum and send it to me via courier. A neuro surgeon then performed the spinal tap on Tjoppie in Bryanston, Gauteng, South Africa.

Today my pup is 6 months old and doing VERY WELL!!!!! 3 Days after the spinal tap he was a completely different puppy! His energy levels rose, his appetite grew, running around, being naughty and playfull like a healthy puppy should be. Although he still has the twitching, that is also improving as he is going for hydro therapy twice a week and he also gets a supplement called Muscle Dog to help build his muscle strength. His overall health is very good and haven’t had any more problems thus far, he is improving every day, I can honestly say that he or any of the symptoms of distemper HAVE NOT worsened at all!!!

I’ve included some before and after photos of him as well.

Kind Regards
Chantel van Rensburg

Sasolburg
South Africa

TJOPPIE’S story has been updated in the book “Save Dogs From Canine Distemper”:

Tjoppie, the South African dog treated with NDV serum in a spinal tap, lived for more than 5 years. Chantel’s husband Noel wrote me with an update: “Unfortunately Tjoppie passed away last year on the 25th of October 2016. We made the hard choice to put him to sleep as his symptoms flared up again and had just too many seizures a day and not recovering well after them. But he was almost 6 years old and if I had to do it again, I would. Thank you for everything.”

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Three puppies saved in Colorado

Ptarmigan & Annie Oakley

Ptarmigan & Annie Oakley

Received Aug. 12, 2011

My name is Laurie. My boyfriend and I adopted two puppies from Texas that have been exposed to distemper. We are located in Vail, Co. The puppies have been coughing and sneezing for almost 3 weeks now (since we received them). Our little male puppy (6ish months, maybe a lab/Dane mix??) woke up this morning with a cracking nose And coughing up mucus. He also threw up his food after a car ride-could be car sickness or an upset stomach from clavamox or a distemper symptom. They both previously have had a clear liquid coming out of their nose but nothing more than a watery nose that dogs get. They had a little bit of eye discharge but that has since stopped. Their poop was runny but they are on probiotics that seem to be helping. They have not had seizures. They had their 1st round of shots..we are torn about getting their next set with them showing symptoms?? Our little girl puppy is better than the male. She is a 4ish month old pug mix. They both still act like happy, playful pups. Not lethargic. We rescued them because they were about to be put down. We don’t have much money but want to do everything we can to help them survive and have a life they deserve.  …  They have not been diagnosed but did spend their trip to co  with an distemper infected puppy that passed away this week. Thanks so much for your help!!

Laurie Lilley
Vail, Colorado

Received Dec. 4, 2011

We treated 3 puppies with the NDV treatments.

We fist gave all 3 of them the straight vaccine, then when the serum came we treated them all with the serum.
After 3 weeks, 2 of the puppies started showing neurological signs (after seeming almost 100% cured) so we immediately did the spinal tap on both and gave each of the puppies(all 3) another round of the serum.  This week, we gave one of the puppies that had the neurological distemper another round of the serum (his nose is drying out again).

All 3 of the puppies are alive and well, thanks to the NDV treatments.  Though we are still waiting on pins and needles, they all are acting like healthy little pups without a worry in the world.

Both puppies that had the spinal tap have remaining twitches, however, after receiving the procedures the rapid progression ceased in both.

We soo greatly appreciate all your hard work in getting this treatment out there.  Our pups are finally living a life they deserve.  If it isn’t bad enough that they were all strays in a kill shelter hours away from death, they came down with an “hopeless” virus when they finally had been saved from the needle and given a chance to live.  You helped make believers out of 4 people that just wanted to save some lives from euthanasia, and 4 vets that were 100% skeptical of the treatments we were asking them to preform.

We thank you!! As do our children, Ptarmigan, Annie Oakley, & Sully.

Laurie Lilley
Vail, Colorado

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Mojave survives neurologic distemper

en español

I adopted Mojave (Moe) in June 2011 from a Border Collie Breed Rescue program. Moe was found wandering in the Mojave Desert and breed rescue picked him up from a shelter in that area. Moe was covered with foxtails, not neutered, and apparently had never been vaccinated for distemper as a puppy. He subsequently received all of his immunizations (including distemper) upon being picked up by the rescue folks. However, Moe was unfortunately exposed to distemper in the shelter where he stayed initially.

About 10 days after I adopted Moe, he came down with double pneumonia and a collapsed lung. My vet was hoping that this was not a complication from distemper, but we had no way of knowing that at the time. Moe’s infection cleared up after several weeks of intensive antibiotics, IV hydration, and breathing treatments.

Approximately a week after Moe recovered from the pneumonia he began to have tremors in his hind legs. We went back to his primary vet who suspected that these symptoms were distemper related. A blood test was drawn, but the

Moe and Shasta

results were not to be available for several weeks. At that point we saw a neurologist who confirmed the diagnosis of distemper based on Moe’s symptoms. She videoed him for teaching purposes since distemper is not common in adult dogs and basically told us to go home and say our goodbyes to Moe. I found that unacceptable!

Fortunately around the same time one of women from rescue told me about the Newcastle serum vaccine. She told me at 8 in the morning and at 11 am the same day Moe and I drove to see Dr. S. at … Dr. S. is awesome! He spent time talking to me on the phone while I was making the 400 mile drive and explained the spinal tap infusion treatment in great detail. When we arrive Moe was checked in and scheduled to have the infusion the next morning. All went well, we drove home three days later and now the Moe dog you see in the videos is our recovering warrior dog!

Conventional veterinarian medicine does not accept this treatment as valid. I wish more doctors did because the Newcastle vaccine discovered by Dr. Sears does work if administered in time. Mojave is living proof of this!

Pam Nabors
Nov. 9, 2011

Categories
Saved Dogs

Some of the San Antonio dogs saved with serum

en español

We received word this morning of 12 dogs who were treated with serum last week in San Antonio: 2 pups, 4 dogs and 6 very young pups. All were saved.

Here’s some pictures, sent in by Elizabeth Nelson, who writes: “All had coughs and nasal discharge. We didn’t wait for them to get worse. They are all doing well now. Piper is the girl in the top picture. Her 6 puppies were sick too and all got serum and are doing well. The message is don’t wait so see if the dog gets worse so the serum has the best chance of working.”

Piper

Kiefer

Maddie

Bodie. This little guy was a bit worse – even spent a few days at the clinic, and he’s a ok as you can see!

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Another Distemper Survivor

For those that don’t know, back in February I had 5 puppies that I pulled from ACS diagnosed with distemper. Long story short, 1 died of pneumonia, all seemed to recover from the mucus phase, then one, MAX, went on to the neuro phase, we tried many different treatments as I watched in despair as his twitching in his body progressed. I finally found out about a NEWCASTLE VACCINE, doing some research I contacted the closest vet, Dr. Z, in up North Austin and drove Max up to have the spinal tap. He had it, and within a few days, he stopped fighting, he had been fighting it for 3 weeks, and I had discovered this treatment too late. It broke my heart and he took a piece of my heart with him when he went over to rainbow bridge.

A week later, one of the other pups started twitching in his rear leg, he was up in Austin the next day having the spinal tap treatment, the twitching had progressed slightly and when he was resting he had like a pulsating twitch, it did irritate him, but it didn’t stop him doing any other activity and he continued to grow healthy, and found a perfect forever home. The other two pups showed no signs of neuro distemper.

I pulled a pup on 6th July, after swearing I would never get another pup from ACS as it totally emotionally, mentally and financially drained me, but we are all weak, and “Morgan” came home to the Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio household.

She is a feisty, hardcore little pup, that loves to wrestle with the GSDs, but she was sat on my knee and I noticed her jaw starting to do what is called the “Chewing gum” I felt sick, even though it was slight as this is a prominent sign of distemper in the neuro phase. I emailed Mr. Ed Bond, program director at “Save Dogs from Canine Distemper” and also Dr. Al Sears, who had discovered this treatment back in the 70s asking if distemper could only show up in the neuro phase, with NO signs at all of the mucus phase. They confirmed it can, and does happen and confirmed what I knew – that she needed the spinal tap ASAP.

The rest you probably know – working with some amazing people who come together in this rescue community, we got her up to a vet in Houston on Wednesday. She was given the serum vaccines and then on Thursday morning she had the spinal tap surgery. I was in contact with this vet who had told me all had gone well and she was making a great recovery. I drove to Houston on Friday (yesterday) to collect her, and ended up taking another dog that needed the serum with me.

You can see in the video attached – FF to about 2/5 minutes if you don’t want to watch it all – but see how Morgan is playing – it’s like nothing has happened. She is not out of the woods yet, and needs to be monitored to ensure the twitching doesn’t advance. So far I have not seen her jaw twitch at all.

If the serum is given to dogs in the mucous phase, within the first 6 days, there is at LEAST 75% chance of curing the distemper, if it is in the neuro phase, as with Morgan, there is at LEAST a 50% chance of it working, obviously the sooner it is caught the better – as was proved with Max and Bruno, and now Morgan.

PLEASE DO NOT WAIT – if you see any signs that your dog/puppy has distemper take action immediately, the rescue community as has shown, will pull together and do what is needed to save the lives of these poor animals, do not give up on them, and lets get away from the old attitude of DISTEMPER = DEATH it really doesn’t have to be like that.

A vet in San Antonio is going to be hopefully starting the treatments soon and so we will have a vet here in San Antonio that will make things a lot easier. He is my vet for GaDaH, and also my own dogs, and I cannot speak highly enough of him and his staff.

Please “LIKE” the following facebook page, and look at the “info”, click on the links and start to research yourself, get your fosters and volunteers to research so that they are aware of the signs and know how to act.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Dogs-From-Canine-Distemper/111817215513393?sk=wall

This is the website, it has so much information on it, and you will learn so much.

https://www.kindheartsinaction.com/

Lets all work together, with the vets that are willing to treat distemper, and save even more lives, that are otherwise condemned.

DISTEMPER DOESN’T MEAN DEATH!

Jenny
Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio
Non- Profit Corp, EIN 27-5241306
www.giveadogahome-sanantonio.org (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

If you want to follow how Morgan does, “LIKE” the Give a Dog a Home – San Antonio Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Give-a-Dog-a-Home-San-Antonio/115295648540276
 
Give a Dog a Home is a small home based operation. All donations/assistance is gratefully accepted. 
Thank you for your support!

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Bella from San Antonio saved from distemper

en español

I hope this story encourages pet owners and vets to use the serum as soon as the first signs of distemper appear instead of waiting to see if other symptoms develop.
Bella is a beautiful chihuahua mix who was rescued from being euthanized at our local animal control facility last March. She seemed perfectly healthy but within a few days she began to cough. I took her to the vet who diagnosed her with kennel cough and prescribed antibiotics. Her cough worsened so the vet prescribed more antibiotics. It wasn’t until she stopped eating and became lethargic that he finally decided she”might” have distemper. He suggested euthanasia as an option and said supportive care was all that was available.
We said no so she was put on IV fluids and medications. That night I found your site and contacted you. I now know that had we already known about the serum Bella would have gotten treated the day she began to cough. Instead it was over two weeks after she started coughing before she received the serum. It did help her because the next day she sat up, walked around and allowed us to feed her with a syringe. However, she began twitching on the side of her head. So we traveled to get the spinal tap. THE SAME DAY OF HER TAP SHE ATE ON HER OWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A WEEK. You have a video of this that I sent to you. [See below.]
We brought her home and she has continued to gain strength ever since and is living a normal, happy, doggie life. Bella’s journey has given us knowledge that has led to saving 2 more lives since then. One of these pups got the serum just a few days after starting to cough and overnight stopped coughing and is completely well. The other didn’t get the serum until late in the disease like Bella but he has also made a full recovery.
Here is a picture of Patch before treatment and a video after treatment.

Here is a picture of Juicy, the other pup saved with the NDV-induced serum.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for the work you have done over the years gathering information and helping people get educated about this treatment for distemper.
Elizabeth Nelson
July 6, 2011

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

NDV-induced serum saves Simba

en español

Mr. Bond,

As promised, I am writing you to inform you of the progress of my dog. Attached is a recent photo of my Simba.

Simba

On June 7th, I took my German Shepherd/Shar-Pei four month old puppy to the vet, after seeing him with yellowish eye discharge and a yellow/green nose discharge.  He wasn’t as playful as usual and, even though he didn’t stop eating, he had lost some of his appetite and was sleeping more than usual. He had been like this for 2 days.  Since I had taken him to the dog park and dog beach at Tropical Park here in Miami the week before, I thought he probably got a cold (I had no clue of the existence of distemper).   After seeing him, my vet told me I should worry about something called distemper. She sent some blood and mucus samples to the lab to test for distemper and told me that in the event it tested positive, I should consider putting him to sleep after a few weeks when the seizures would kick in.

On June 9th, she called me with the results of the lab tests.  Simba had tested positive for distemper and she wanted to see him in a week and have me consider not allowing the dog to suffer after the seizures, recommending me to euthanize him.  My wife cried for most of the day and I stayed awake all night reading about distemper on the Internet.  That’s when I read about Dr. Sears and his treatment.  It was close to daylight already when I sent him and you an E-Mail asking desperately for help.

I received your reply incredibly fast, with very helpful information.  I called all those clinics and only one said they had the NDV vaccine, but not the serum.  The doctor was out of town and the assistant could not administer the shot without his supervision, but she promised to help me by finding someone who could.  A couple of hours passed and I couldn’t concentrate in my work at my office, waiting for her call.  She finally called me back and said that there was this Animal Aid clinic in Boca Raton who had the serum and gave me the number.  I thanked her many times and made the call.  … I went home to pick up my Simba and drove an hour and a half to Boca.  The vet who I spoke with on the phone, a Godsend, saw my Simba and showed me how to administer the first injection, since I had to take part of the serum home with me, on ice, and administer the next two shots every twelve hours, which I did.

He got his first shot on a Friday at 5:21PM, and at 7:30PM, already home, he wanted to play, so I took him out for a short walk around the block and was already more energetic.  But he kept having the nose discharge, mostly at nights, for a couple of days after the last shot.  His eyes are now healed and healthy and he no longer has the nose discharge. He’s now eating more than ever and is extremely energetic and playful.  For the first time, since we brought him home when he was two moth’s old, he has been barking at passersby while in our backyard.  He gained 5 pounds in just one week!

I took him again to my vet here in Miami last Tuesday and she couldn’t believe the results.  She told me she wasn’t able to administer the serum, first because she doesn’t have it, and second because there isn’t enough information on that treatment, which isn’t accepted within the respected veterinary community.  I told her: “Doctor, my dog was saved because of it, look at him.  What have you got to lose by giving that treatment shot and many dogs a chance?”  … I decided I would purchase Dr. Sears DVD and give it to her so she may see the results and maybe change her mind and start using the treatment.  I purchased the DVD online today and also made my donation to Kind Hearts in Action.

Mr. Bond, I don’t know how to thank you enough and I needed to share my story with someone like you, who deserves it.  My dog has been saved from distemper, thanks to the knowledge you have been willing to share with others.

Arthur Mondejar
Miami, Florida
June 17, 2011

Thank you, Arthur, for your donation and for sharing your story with us. You may have helped save the lives of countless dogs. Ed Bond

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

10 dogs saved in Florida distemper outbreak

en español

Above,  eight of the 10 dogs saved from distemper.
Posted to Facebook profile and fan page on May 25, 2011

Just wanted to tell you that we pulled 10 dogs ages 3mth to 3 yrs from Miami shelter during the distemper outbreak recently. All 10 tested positive for distemper. All were given serum along with Interferon injections, ribivarin, vitamin c, multi-vitamins and echneacia. Everyone survived and show no neuro signs!!
Not sure what worked specifically but I know that the combo did work!!! They all beat the odds. Thank you for creating the serum [discovered by Dr. Alson Sears.]

Kelly Huntsinger Chasnov
Wee Waggin Rescue

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Mr. Blue is in the pink

en español

Feb 16, 2011

Hi Ed,

My name is Sam. I’m the proud mommy of Mr. Blue, a 2 mos old English Bulldog. I am from Manila, Philippines. I bought him from a kennel last weekend (Saturday to be exact Feb 12). When we got him, I noticed he had a cough and cold. He was up for his 3rd round of shots on Feb 14 (Monday) so the vet came and gave him meds for his cold but she could not give him his shots. By the afternoon on Monday he vomitted and I panicked. We rushed him to the hospital and after a few tests we were told he had distemper. I didnt know what that was and when the doctor explained it to me, I almost fainted.

I know hes only been with me a few days, but I love him dearly and would surely die if anything happened to him. The doctor (Vets in Practice) advised us of this donor dog treatment and I said yes, but needed to find a donor dog, in the meantime, they amped him with medication to treat his pneumonia, cought etc and meds for his immune system. We even got him a nebulizer to help him.

Yesterday we found a donor dog and well, today at 2pm we will getting our first shot. I am hoping that he gets better.
Its been 4 days since we found out he has distemper..Im not even sure how long hes had it…this morning he pooped twice and it was mostly water and phlegm and there was a tinge of blood. I hope we are not too late.

A vet went to visit just an hour ago and she said he had a fever. And looks so weak. He hasnt barked in 2 days. He just sleeps.

Your website has really given me hope that he will get better. Please let me know if you know of other things I can do to make him feel better.

Sam Yen
The Philippines

May 31, 2011

Hi Ed,
My apologies for not getting to reply sooner. I have been extremely busy, not just with work but busy with my GROWING PUPPY!!! 🙂
I am pleased to report that the serum treatment worked! His treatment started Feb 17 or 18, 3 shots 12 hours apart, he looked really weak after the shots and was really down. In fact, we thought he really wasnt going to make it anymore. But 2 days after treatment, he finally started eating again! I was eating a piece of cheese next to him and I noticed he took interest and he ate it! So then we tried giving him his dog food and voila!
We tested him a month after if he still had the virus and it came out negative! 🙂 We have been going through a series of re-vaccinations and all the other shots needed to protect him before we bring him out to the real world. Poor thing has been stuck at home all these months. He was diagnosed with distemper when he was 2 months old, he will be 6 months on June 12. He can finally go out to the parks and play and go to obedience school (our little pup is a spoiled one and well, we cant seem to make him listen to us, we always give in to his demands). As of yesterday, he is now a whopping 17kilos!
Attached are some photos of him when he was sick up till now. I have some videos as well. Will send in another email 🙂
I truly believe that without the serum he would not have made it. He had all the bad complications, diarrhea with blood, he was vomitting, he was completely not eating, he had pneumonia and water in his lungs. We kept our eye on him 24/7. It was not easy, and to watch such a small thing go thru such an ordeal was heart breaking. He had tons and tons of medicines, we took him to the vet everyday for 20 days for IV under his skin so he doesnt get dehydrated on top of his vitamin shots. The doctors in Vets in Practice here in Manila are the best. They really care for your little one.
Kind regards,
Sam

Anyone with a distemper dog in the Philippines should read these blogs:

Clarisse’s Site

Adventures of a Beauty Queen

Categories
Canine Distemper Saved Dogs

Hector gets NDV spinal tap

en español

Hector was having a happy life, until one day he started crying with pain. He wasn’t able to go to sleep or stand still because of the nervous symptoms. At nights he was screaming in pain, and the owner was in shock because he had two distemper shots before.

He was treated with NDV spinal tap on Feb. 10. Eighteen hours after the spinal tap, he was depressed but you can see that he is looking hopeful, still shaking the legs but much better.

On Feb. 16, he was much happier, alert and started putting the front legs on bed. he is again sleeping with his owner in bed 🙂

With all my best wishes
Vet Sinem Karsli Parmaksizoglu
Istanbul, Turkey
Feb. 17, 2011