Received this email from Turkey this morning, along with the accompanying video:
Hello,
My name is Hatice Degirmenci and I am writing to you from Izmir, Turkey.
I am a shelter volunteer and a rescue worker in a small town outside of Izmir. Last summer, a young couple brought in a puppy that they found after it had just been crashed by a car. Hind back leg was broken, and the first vet they took him to, did an operation but unfortunately not the puppy vaccines.
The dog, named “Darky”, stayed at a dog boarding facility for a while and then I took him into my garden where I look after near 17 rescue dogs of all breeds and sizes, and ages.
After a couple of days, I noticed the twitches. He would be standing up and have the small jumpy twitch. I couldn’t believe a dog in my garden could start showing distemper virus symptoms at this stage.
I was in shock and denial for a couple of weeks.
Then the symptoms got more and more severe. At some point, Darky, lost control and feeling in both of his front legs. He was basically just dragging himself on his head/neck on the floow and back legs.
2,5 months into sleepless nights, muscle spasms getting worse and worse, Darky falling into his own pee and poop every day… one of our rescue friends mentioned Dr. Sears’ NDV Serum/Spinal Tap treatment. And in no time, we went to our vet and got the Spinal Tap done. She had tried it on a few patients before and got results.
It was a miracle. The harsh distemper symptoms started to decline. We did a lot of exercise for the front legs. And one day he started taking like 10-15 steps without falling.
He still has the spasms but he lives a fully normal life.
I CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!
Kind Regards
In a follow-up email, she added:
Your blog helped me thru the hardest days… I read and read and read and read and it gave me hopes. You’ve helped a dog and a family across thousands of kilometers.
THANK YOU, Hatice! You are a hero. Saving the life of one dog may not change the world, but it will change the world for that dog. Your email really made my day! — Ed