My dog has distemper symptoms, not eating, mucus. What can I do?

Unfortunately, with distemper there is not much you can do for them. There is no treatment, only supportive care which is already being done. If it progresses to the neurological form, the chance of recovery is minimal. They are doing all the treatment they can based on your description. Nothing else can really be done other than trying to force feed him, which many animals do not take to having done. If they want to try something, I would recommend force feeding either canned dog food or human meat flavored baby foods (in a jar). I am really sorry that his has happened to Rex. Distemper can be easily prevented with vaccination. So, let your friends know that in future all their dogs need to be vaccinated. As puppies they get a series of 3 vaccinations and then as an adult it should be boostered every year. Below is a link to an excellent article about canine distemper. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/distemper-in-dogs

Poor Pando! It is unusual for a dog to get distemper if properly vaccinated and boostered over their life. It is not impossible though. It is great news if he is getting better from the distemper symptoms but still concerns me that he is suffering from distemper or some other issue with the large amount of weight loss and loss of appetite. I would talk to your vet about rechecking any bloodwork to see what it looks like and also make sure he is on antibiotics. If he isn't eating, he may need to be on intravenous fluids and injectable antibiotics. Also, if possible, you may talk to your vet about doing some x-rays to see what his chest and abdomen looks like to see if there are any additional problems. I have seen dogs with distemper develop pneumonia and other secondary issues. He may also need a feeding tube if he is refusing to eat. It sounds like he has been in good hands but just needs more treatment and maybe even more aggressive treatment to help him continue to improve. Unfortunately, if he truly does have distemper, it is very tough for them to recover. Hang in there and I hope he start to gain weight and improve soon.

Unfortunately there is no specific treatment for it and I would recommend to have added some antibiotics prescribed to fight against possible secondary infections. In terms of food, Canine recovery diet or Canine a/d are very energetic type of diets (usually very palatable as well) which are recommended in these situations. 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.

This is such a difficult decision to make, and ultimately I think it would be a better question for your vet. They know the particulars of her case and have probably noticed trends in her recovery. Distemper is a devastating disease, and sometimes dogs that make it through the acute respiratory phase go on to develop devastating neurologic symptoms. If she has truly shown no improvement it may be best to end her suffering. On the other hand she may need a little more time to improve. Distemper can also be very expensive to treat, so if finances are (understandably) playing a role you should let your vet know this as well. You could also give an arbitrary time frame to see if she improves 24-48 hours or so. There are no wrong answers in a situation like this.

I am so sorry to hear that her disease has progressed. Unfortunately if distemper starts to cause neurological symptoms then it is unlikely that she will recover. Typically seizure activity will follow in the near future. I am so sorry to relay this poor prognosis. However, every patient is different and there is always a chance of improvement. I would encourage you to consider having a follow up appointment with your veterinarian for a reassessment . Thank you for using Pet Coach.

From what you are describing, I suspect that she may have a distemper virus infection. This is a very serious disease that needs intensive treatment by a vet doctor. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done for this at home. She needs professional treatment soon, or I'm afraid she will not survive. I hope that helps and Bagheera gets treatment soon.

Poor Pookie! It definitely sounds like something is wrong. These symptoms could certainly be caused by distemper, but could also be due to many other illnesses, so it's not possible to say what's wrong without being able to examine her and run some tests. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam. He/she can do blood work or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment depending on what is found.