Possible Distemper?Local vet says wait and see...

[Gdbyrd]

Like to start out by saying hello, keep it short I'm worried about my dog. My name is Garett and I'm a pediatric nurse, I enjoy outdoor activities, am married and have a 5 month old son. Wife is also a nurse. To my worries:

I adopted a dog from a local shelter a week ago. When I got her home I did my own assessment, her respirations were ridiculously high..anywhere from 80-120 while resting. She also had a BB lodged in her left scapula. I took her to the Vet that Monday as she had developed a cough by Sunday and some clear nasal drainage. She was also very clumsy..which some younger dogs can be. There I was told it was more than likely nothing, just to notify them if she developed any diarrhea, loss in appetite or began coughing more.

Since then, the coughing has decreased, she is still eating good, but her activity level has decreased(at least to me it has), my wife feels that she's acting fine and so does my father..he sees her a lot. I have since noticed her front left leg twitching..my original fear when I first took her to the vet was distemper...but I was told that it would be HIGHLY unlikely for her to get that at her age..approximately 8-12 months.

She is now having several symptoms associated with distemper. Decreased activity, continued nasal drainage(clear), occassional cough, kept with the clumsyness, fine motor tremor(happened once), eye drainage(which my wife feels is normal, my first big dog so I don't know).

The only things she isn't exhibiting is thickening of the foot pads and nose, diarrhea, and increased sensitivity, and the serious neural symptoms.

Since then, my dad's dog who was exposed to her for only about an hour was diagnosed with kennel cough today. I spoke to our vet over the phone who is a family friend, he said that was more than likely what my dog had and to just keep an eye on her..I need to speak with him tomorrow and talk to him about the leg twitch.

I know I may be over-reacting..but like I mentioned, this is my first big dog that was going to be a companion for me and for my son as he grows..only been in the family for a week and I couldn't see not having her. I find that I overreact and over look into things a lot..can't help that, it's part of my profession to look for illness : /

Looking for advice and options and preferrably some info on distemper..hopefully a lot more on the symptoms associated with it. We can't do any of the immunity tests as she received the basic cocktail of immunizations at the pound.

-what should I be looking for in the way of tremors? Will they also happen while she is resting?

I'm sorry for the long post but worried, contacting the vet tomorrow morning regardless of the responses, but anything would be appreciated.

EDIT: Should add no tooth decay is noted, gums are pink, temp at the Vet was 102, high end of normal. Drainage from the eyes is only there in the morning. Today on her walk she kept wanting to stop and lay down in the grass..which I know is not normal. Breed is a Boder Collie Mix, at the office she weighed in at 28lbs, at home 26lbs(Difference in scales is a possibility).

[luckypenny]

Can't help you with your questions Gdbyrd, but wanted to welcome you all the same. If you're still concerned after your appointment with your vet, perhaps a second opinion may ease your worries? Hoping nothing serious is found with your new dog and your dad's dog will get better really soon.

[papillonmama]

Welcome to the board.

It's lovely to see someone who cares so much about their new family member. I think you are being sensible and that you were given sound advice, if you are still concerned contacting another vet could help you feel more at ease and give clear answers, I gave my opinion that you could probably wait until morning, but I don't want you disuaded from taking your pet to the vet anytime that you feel it necesary. Keep a close eye, for changes.

Please update when you have time.

Good luck

[~michelle~]

I would seek a second opinion, since many shelters dont have the money to do a full test i would suggest having your vet do a proper physical exam and a wellness blood profile and any other checks for illness.
best of luck and keep us posted
your new pup is lucky to have an owner as caring as you are !!
welcome to the forum and we would love to see some photos of your pooch

[Gdbyrd]

Here's a pic of my two favorite little ones.

EDIT: Thank you all for the welcome! I hope she's OK and I'm not overreacting..glad to see I'm thinking clearly by wanting to take her back.

[luckypenny]

Oh my goodness, your little boy and puppy are absolutely adorable ! What a gorgeous photo!

I hope everything goes well at the vet's today and that you find all the answers you're seeking. Good luck .

[hazelrunpack]

What a beautiful family you have Gdbyrd!

How is your girl today?

If you are still worried about your pup after you talk to your regular vet, definitely get a second opinion--if only to set your mind at ease.

We're real worriers, so we go to the vet for just about everything--sometimes coming back feeling sheepish because it was nothing. But even in those cases, the peace of mind was worth the cost of the vet visit. And if the second vet catches something the first vet missed, the cost would definitely be worth it! Even the best of vets can miss things sometimes.

I hope she just has a cold or a case of kennel cough--unpleasant, but much less serious in most cases than distemper!

[papillonmama]

Great looking family.

Let us know how your dog is doing after the vet.

[Gdbyrd]

Thanks for the comments about my little ones, they're certainly keeping me and the wife busy!

Well, do to some problems with schedules my dad had to take her to the vet. I called in and spoke with the Vet's wife, she said that it doesn't sound like distemper but it very well could be some other neurologic DO..Not good : / But hopefully they all don't have such terrible outcomes.

He's supposed to give me a call if they say anything. When I mentioned that she kept laying down at every stop they wanted to see her IMMEDIATELY, they're thinking it could possibly be a cardiac issue now. Her lungs are clear and her heart sounds normal-at least when compared to a human's. I haven't run her in awhile, but a few days ago she could keep up with and pass me with ease, and I'm in pretty good shape. Hell, I don't know. Hopefully I'll hear something soon..didn't get any sleep last night.

[luckypenny]

Thanks for the update Gdbyrd. Hopefully all results will come back soon and nothing serious is found. Still wishing lots of luck for the doggies.

[LittleMissLevi]

If your dad's dog was just diagnosed with kennel cough and you got her from a pound it could definitely be kennel cough. Since kennel cough is similar to cold/flu in humans it can present in a various different ways and easily last up to 3 weeks. Just wait for the tests to come back and try not to worry too much. Also dogs have a faster HR than humans: normal being as high as 160 beats/min, and 102 is a normal temperature for dogs even if it is on the upper range. The question is whether your dog is usually on the lower or upper which you probably don't know since you got her. Keep us updated.

[mummummum]

Please do keep us updated on her condition ~ it sounds like information we could all use ! Specially if the symptoms turn out coincidentally occuring at the same time and reveal two separate medical issues.

[Gdbyrd]

LittleMiss, her HR was within normal range so I didn't list it : / Her respirations were 80-120. Normal for most dogs is 10-30 from what I've read. That was with her asleep.

I'm hoping it is something as simple as kennel cough. Still waiting for a phone call...been over an hour now.

[Gdbyrd]

My old man is an ass...

He calls and says well, they think she might be having arrythmias and possibly a hole in her heart...so they need to put her on a halter monitor(it's like an EKG,but they keep it for >24hrs) and it's going to be 500$...I was trying to think how much I had in the checking account when he tells me he's joking...really funny.

The vet says it's highly likely she had distemper at some point in time in her life and had experieced lesions/scarring on her brain from it and her acting up could be it resurfacing. She should get better but may continue to have small episodes of it.

Personally I don't think she had it when she was younger, more likely recently. The stuff I've read said she would have issues with her teeth-pitting and discoloration..her teeth are whiter than mine! But we'll wait and see, she was seen by a different Vet today so that's two vets with a relatively clear checkup. Makes me feel more comfortable about her, but I'm still going to keep a very close eye on her. He gave her some Decadron(Steroid) to help with her cough..which has just about cleared up.

I'll keep you all informed and thank you very much for your support. In a couple weeks if she's doing 100% better she's going kayaking with me, I'll make sure and post some pictures for you.