Dog Community

Distemper??? or jumped the gun??

Posted : 3/16/2006 11:46:07 PM

Help!! As you all know I am a foster mom for the Local Humane Society. This is my third foster family. It is a mom and her 3 pups. (Rat terrier). Well I picked them up from the local shelter. Momma had a dry cough. So I took her to the vet and she was diagnosed with kennal cough and put on meds. The puppies were also coughing so they to were put on meds. Within 5 days the puppies were not coughing, good appetites and potting okay. However momma seemed to cough more, when I got her she was so under weight and nursing so we kept dry food available at all times and fed her wet food brkfst, lunch and dinner. Every time I checked on her for the first week she had ate all the dry and all the wet. Last Saturday she stopped eating the dry and only ate part of the wet. Tuesday she had diarrhea (BAD ODER) and Wednesday morning she had vomited in her food bowl. We rushed her to the vet and they decided to put her down.!!!! My question is: the puppies are about 4 weeks old, and I was just told by the H.S. president that the puppies will come down with Distemper and probably die within 10 to 14 days. As I am only a foster and volunteer I don't really have any say. I don't want to put these puppies down!!! I also don't want these babies to suffer either. There are no snotty noses or watery eyes, the mom didn't have those symtoms either. Advice Please. I am so upset I am thinking about NOT fostering any more, although it is my passion.

dyan

Posted : 3/17/2006 12:13:51 AM

Oh my gosh.
I have no experience about this. I have no advise.
I just want to tell you how sad this is..I'm so sorry you have to deal with it. I wish I could help. I supposed things like this have to happen once in a while when you foster...please don't think about not fostering anymore. They need people like you. Bless you for caring so much.

glenmar

Posted : 3/17/2006 5:11:15 AM

It's tough to keep fostering when you loose an animal this way. I keep reminding my gal that she hasn't sent me anyone in MONTHS...not since before Christmas and I still have TWO pups needing homes besides MINE.

I also have no experience with this. I've never had parvo/distemper in my own animals or the fosters. But, gosh, sending you lots of hugs and healthy pup vibes to keep you going. Do you need a gruel recipe to keep them fed?

cakana

Posted : 3/17/2006 12:06:05 PM

I had an indooor only cat years ago. One day I couldn't find her and kept calling and calling. Finally heard her meow from under the refrigerator. She was curled up under there near the motor (for warmth). I pulled her out and she vomited. I packed her up and took her to the vet right away. She got sick on the exam table and the vet said it was likely feline distemper. He said they'd run a blood test but if it was, there wasn't anything they'd be able to do. She died that night. I wracked my brain trying to think of how that could've happened and then remembered a neighbor had found a stray kitten. I was petting it and even commented on the runny eyes and general ill health the kitten was in. The neighbor later told me the kitten had also died a few days after I'd seen her. It was so heartbreaking for me and I really beat myself up for a long time for being so stupid. Anyway, I know how heartbreakingly fast this disease can kill an animal and I'm really sorry that you're going thru this. Please don't give up on fostering though. The sickest animals need us the most.

baibesmom

Posted : 3/17/2006 12:46:41 PM

hello, again. My babies are eating, pottying and playing today. I keep watching for any sign of anything. I called the Vet and asked about the antibotics they have been on since March 6th for the Kennel cough and she recommended that I continue until the bottle is empty. I am still not convinced the momma had distemper, although I am sure the Vet knows more than I do about such things. There was never the snotty nose or watery eyes. And she only threw up once. I wonder how long the incubation is on this illness?? At least I would have some sort of date to watch and hopefully be relived if we get past it. Is there a vacination maybe?? The Vet I talked to was leery of giving me information, because the President of H.S. doesn't want to spend ALOT of money to lose them anyway. It's nerve wracking to watch and wait for the other shoe to fall. If it's going to fall at all.[8|]

cakana

Posted : 3/17/2006 1:06:20 PM

There is a lot of information in this link:

[linkhttp://www.vetinfo.com/ddistemper.html]http://www.vetinfo.com/ddistemper.html[/link]

Patt

Posted : 3/17/2006 10:19:03 PM

Just curious is this the vet that works for the Shelter? Seems odd the put the mother down so quickly. If possible I think I would get a second opinion but I guess you would have to pay for it. Sending positive thoughts and prayers for the puppies.