My dog had distemper. Why is it shaking? Can it get distemper again?

I'm very sorry Gator had distemper! Unfortunately, when a dog recovers from distemper and still has tremors, there's not much that can be done. There are drugs that the vet can prescribe to try to help with the tremors, such as anti-seizure medications, but they may not be successful. I would have Gator examined by a vet to determine if medication can be helpful with her tremors.

Unfortunately, distemper is a seriously debilitating disease and there is no cure. We can only try to limit the damage done by the virus. This often entails nerve and brain damage, and upper respiratory problems. The upper respiratory problems can often be alleviated, however the nerve damage is permanent. When it is mild, the dog can have a good quality of life. At this time supportive care is the only option and you will have to wait it out and see what damage will be permanent. It is a nasty disease, and I am very sorry your pup is affected.

So sorry to hear that Bruno is having this problem. With prompt, aggressive care, dogs may recover completely from some systemic manifestations of distemper like gastrointestinal and respiratory signs. In most cases with regards to neurologic signs (like seizures) they often persist and do not completely go away. So, it is unlikely that Bruno's seizures will completely resolve. Hope this helps. Feel free to post again if you have more questions. Best wishes.

That is very unlikely as neurological signs are late signs in distemper infection and come after respiratory ones (such as discharge from eyes and nose and sneezing and so on). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Dogs which develop the neurological stage of distemper have a very poor chance of functional recovery and in the rare cases they do survive for any length of time tend to have permanent neurological side effects and seizures. Euthanasia is recommended to prevent further suffering and prolonged starvation

I'm sorry that Bruno suffered from distemper! Your vet was right that there is no cure for distemper, and about 50% of dogs who come down with it pass away. It's fortunately that Bruno was one of the lucky ones to survive, but dogs who do survive often have lasting effects such as the paralysis you are seeing. I would recommend speaking to your vet about seeing if a doggie wheelchair can be made or purchased for Bruno. Dragging his legs on the ground can easily lead to wounds on his legs which can then get infected. A wheelchair will support him and make it easier for him to get around safely. Dogs with distemper typically do not have normal life spans due to the lasting effects of the disease, so to answer your question, Bruno will survive but for how long is truly unknown. I'm sorry I don't have a more definitive answer for you :-(

If the tremors are constant, T should be examined by your veterinarian. There could be a neurological cause. If it happens only when he eats, there could be periodontal disease or infection that is causing pain when he chews. A discussion regarding the dietary issues can be had once the tremors have been diagnosed. For now, consider feeding as bland a diet as possible. The vet may provide i/d which is a Hill's prescription diet that is highly digestible and easy on the GI tract.