My dog had distemper. Why are his symptoms worsening after treatment?

Unfortunately this is a serious viral disease which can cause lasting neurological damage. The treatment for CDV (infection with canine distemper virus) is supportive, there is no cure other than the body of Nasus fighting it himself. We can only help him fight it. Vaccination can prevent a dog from getting an infection with CDV. Here is more information: http://www.center.vet.br/cinomose.html

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.

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'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 :-(

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

It depends on the strain of the disteper virus. The disease usually lasts for 7-14 days, sometimes longer (but some dogs die within 2-3 days from the start of the clincial symptoms). There is no medication to cure distemper, however, some puppies will fight the virus and survive infection with supportive treatment (antibiotics, intravenous fluids, parenteral feeding, nursing etc).

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