My unvaccinated dog has distemper. How can I help her survive?

I'm sorry Kiku has distemper. Supportive care is the only treatment available for this disease, which can include IV fluids, anti-seizure medications, and medications to help control vomiting and diarrhea. Unfortunately about 80% of puppies who get distemper will die from the disease. His best chance for survival is hospitalization with a vet, so I would take him into one immediately.

Typically dextrose is given when their blood sugar is low. A low bloo sugar is a result of not eating and it can cause weakness and seizures. Distemper can be fatal. It has potential to cause respiraory symptomas and GI problems and in advanced cases it attacks the nervous system and cause a head bob and seizures. It is not always a fast progression, so they can be sick for weeks before getting better or worse. It is a viral infection so suportive care is all you do to wait for their body to fight the virus off. make sure the secondar bacterial infections stay under control with antibiotics, keep the fever under control and make sure they are eating and drinking well

I am sorry to hear about red. It is possible that red could have distemper but it is really rare in the United States. If he has ever been vaccinated before distemper is not as likely. Unfortunately distemper is very fatal. Most dogs start to have seizures that cannot be controlled. I would be concerned about possible infection, parasites or neurological disease. I would recommend a pet coach consult to discuss more information in detail but red should really see a veterinarian. Hope he feels better

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.

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

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Neurovet is a product which I have not ever seen used before and is a supplement. An antibiotic will only help with secondary bacterial infections as Distemper is a virus. The best thing you can do for Olive is supportive care in a veterinary hospital and provide adequate hydration, pain medication, anti-seizure therapy (if having seizures), etc. Distemper can be fatal and the best change Olive has is in a hospital receiving the most appropriate care. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

If your pet was diagnosed by a vet with Distemper then your vet should treat Sky according to the symptoms, Distemper is a viral disease and there is no treatment for it but medications can be given to help deal with the disease such as antibiotics for example.