Introducting My New Blue Weim! Sort of...

AmyB · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:23 pm Post subject:

How's he doing today? I've been thinking about him alot.

weimdawgs · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 6:58 pm Post subject:

Every time I see there's a new post, I'm afraid to read it. I am still keeping up the prayers...like Indian said, miracles do happen.

GrayGhost · Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:25 pm Post subject:

Well, yesterday he was coughing less. Today he is coughing much more, and is starting to get the nasty eye discharge that is typical. The fever still comes and goes, getting as high as 105 at times.

What has me baffled is that Dorian has started sneezing and coughing, just like the puppy did before he started to get bad. He is also getting a bit of a runny nose. And Dorian is clearly not feeling well, but no fever.

In one hand, I am scared to death that Dorian has caught distemper as well. It would be very unlikely, being that Dorian is fully vaccinated and is a healthy adult, but not impossible I suppose.

In the other hand, if this was passed to Dorian, the other possibility is that this might just be some other virus or infection other than distemper.

So at the moment I am having a lot of mixed fillings, to say the least...

weimdawgs · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 4:30 am Post subject:

Ghost,

You are all in my thoughts and prayers.

AmyB · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:02 am Post subject:

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this IS some other type of virus that clears up quickly.

LunaBrown · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:09 pm Post subject:

Any updates on baby boy??

Still pullin for the little guy!

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject:

How is Dorian?? And little No Name??

Would it be possible to Dorian to contract distemper??? I thought that's why we give them all those shots..to protect them.

I can't imagine what you must be feeling..... Crying or Very sad

GrayGhost · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:12 pm Post subject:

Dorian seems to be feeling fine, but still sneezing his head off. No Name (which I "think" we have decided to name Houdini), seems to be fully of energy, has a great appetite, but is still showing typical symptoms.

It would be extremely unlikely an adult dog that is fully vaccinated like Dorian would contract distemper, but I suppose not impossible. Viruses do mutate. And I believe there are different strains of distemper, or at least some information seems to suggest this.

In humans, this is why flu shots are given yearly. The human flu virus tends to change frequently, and what was effective last year may not be the next year. Researchers "guess" at which flu virus strains they believe will be most prevalent each year, and include those in the vaccine for that year. If you happen to catch a strain that was not included, you can still get the flu. Though if the strain is similar enough to a strain you were vaccinated against, your body will respond faster and you could potentially show mild or no symptoms. If it is totally different, you will have normal flu symptoms.

The ability a virus has to change is also why you have sudden epidemics of various viruses that break out and affect so many people out of the blue.

So, who knows...

weimdawgs · Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:39 am Post subject:

Well, I think about you everyday..and have toes and fingers crossed Smile

He looks like a Houdini.

Sophie · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:01 pm Post subject:

I'm still thinking about you... Keeping my fingers crossed! Any news?

punk5-0 · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:14 pm Post subject:

is it possible for him to have allergies?

AmyB · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject:

I'm still thinking about him too! Everyday I check in hoping to see that you've posted they're all better.

GrayGhost · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:59 pm Post subject: Maybe H3N8, no distemper???

Sorry I haven't been posting much recently. Both Dorian AND Aristotle appear to be sick, the puppy seems to be showing worse signs of pneumonia. On top of that, my video card in my main computer fried real toasty so I have been having trouble getting online... What a month...

I haven't been able to wrap my head around this one for a while. How could TWO of my healthy fully vaccinated dogs show the same initial symptoms Houdini did? The vet I am currently taking Houdini didn't seem to be able to shed any insight into the issue either. He didn't even want to seem to give me any antibiotics to treat secondary infections for Houdini either. I pretty much had to demand them at this point. It was as if he considered Houdini dead already, which annoys the crap out of me. Luckily, I only have a list of about 5 different vets that we take our dogs to. Smile

This clinic however was one of my favorites. They had all of the new vet toys and were open 7 days a week. It had two vets, one of which recently left, and she was the one I preferred. Now I don't think I will be going back any more.

But anyway... Both Dorian and Aristotle were showing the dry cough and hacking and nasal discharge that Houdini was at first, but they aren't going beyond that and seem to be as energetic and usual. SO other than that one day that Dorian seemed to feel bad, they haven't had any other symptoms than the nasal discharge (with a bit of sneezing) and the dry cough/hacking. The puppy clearly has pneumonia. Mirabella is unaffected.

So while doing a bit of research on cough suppressants and expectorants, I came across information regarding the canine influenza virus, H3N8.

And guess what? It is a mutated horse virus. Dogs don't have a natural immunity to it, and dogs currently aren't vaccinated against it (I think a vaccine is still in the works).

Here is some interesting information:

weimdawgs · Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 6:18 pm Post subject:

Thank you for the update. We are all pulling for all of them. The canine flu does make a little more sense as Dorian and Aristotle are ill. The thought that they may have caught distemper from Houdini really does scare me a bit.

Fingers and toes still crossed...healing thoughts and prayers still coming your way Smile

LunaBrown · Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:40 am Post subject:

How is our little guy doing??
It's AMAZING what kind of effect these little creatures have on us, even when we've never met them! Pink grin