Distemper Season Is Upon Us

Yes, the wolf is at the door, and our work is cut out for us with all the cases coming in from California and Texas especially. As the heat rises so do the number of distemper cases around the world.

Despite the frustration of young puppies from whom we cannot obtain serum and those folks who follow a feedback loop of denial and procrastination, there have been some successes recently.

A tiny black and white Chihuahua named Inky recently received NDV in both body and CNS, traveling from Texas to Atlanta. Here he is before treatment; very undersized and underweight, almost looking like a newborn

and here he is 2-3 weeks after treatment!

He has doubled in size and in weight, and looking much more mature. The change is really amazing!

In the course of the past few weeks another vet has emerged (possibly 2 from the same practice
who are willing to treat dogs with Dr. Sears' protocol in both body and CNS) out of California. This will potentially help many dogs this summer and beyond.

A donor dog is badly needed in New York right now, so if you would, please ask around and give anyone you know there who has a vet and a dog the link to the Facebook group. Vets still seem to be very hesitant to try making the serum, but we need for somebody to start stepping up to the plate because puppies 12 weeks and under are unlikely to respond to NDV and their only hope in most cases is serum made from another dog.

It is tragic to see puppies out of luck because nobody will follow this simple process (which is outlined on my blog in a former post, on Facebook, and on Ed Bond's regular website). This really is not that much more risky than donating blood. The only difference is that the donor dog is under anesthesia because the amount of blood taken is larger than what would be taken from a leg vein. As long as the vet uses proper precautions there should be no complications and the donor dog will wake up and resume its normal activities shortly thereafter.

If you live in New York and have a large mixed-breed dog this is a wonderful way to help other dogs whose lives depend on your generosity. You and your vet will be providing a great service to puppies in need. You will truly be giving the gift of life.

To those of you who think or know your dog has distemper please don't delay in getting your dog tested and treated. Contact me on Facebook or leave a message on this blog. If you are having trouble financially paying your dog's veterinary expenses there are options available. Don't assume it is out of your reach. A thread on Save Dogs from Canine Distemper Facebook cause has a list of financial resources. Although it may be somewhat of an inconvenience to incur some debt or to contact a bunch on non-profit agencies, your dog deserves the help he/she needs just as you or your child does when you have a medical problem.

Distemper is a serious illness and so now is not the time to skimp on the necessary tests and treatment. If your vet's fees are astronomical and you cannot find any way to afford them even after exhausting all of the options on the list (including Care Credit) you might seriously consider looking for another vet whose fees are more reasonable and who takes more forms of payment. Don't just call 2 or 3. Finding a vet who will work with you financially and offer your dog the care it needs may require running through several lists of vets. The ones who cannot help you may have other vets they know which they can recommend. Take notes and don't be afraid to ask everyone you know for referrals. If you go to pet stores to buy food and other pet products that is another good place to talk to people who might have possible leads. Ask your co-workers, your friends, shelters, even at your kids' sports games. The key is to network wherever you can. Lots of people own dogs and cats, so the answer could be just under your nose.

Today the sun was shining again so I took lots of cute pictures of Carmella in the back yard. The Ivermectin has really gotten rid of the last of her mange and the dark pigmentation on her flanks is even beginning to fade now! I was beginning to worry that she would have permanently visible black blotches showing through her fur, but that too is healing.

She has a new stamina and vigor she never had before. It has not even been a full year since her treatment in the Central Nervous System and I can really tell that her immune system is finally returning to normal!

Now she seems to be doing wonderfully on just fish oil. I did not know whether or not the opportunistic bacterial infections would return after I stopped the Pet Tabs but they have as of yet stayed away.

Today Carmella was able to be outside for several hours chasing sticks and lying in the sun.

Her coat is gorgeous right now.

I think she's probably ready now to have photos submitted for dog food endorsements.

It seems that I can see a different breed in her from just about every perspective!
Above, her profile looks like an American Foxhound.

But in this picture she looks very much like a German Shepherd. Some of the other photos look alot more Dingo-like, Basenji-like, Husky or Malamute-like. She has come a long way from the day I brought her home; a small, frail puppy who wasn't expected to live through the weekend.

On To New Frontiers! More Donor Dogs Needed

The Facebook Group (and the entire Distemper Cure community) continues to grow. New vets are beginning to take interest, we have a good bit of data now, and it seems that the need for serum is becoming ever more apparent after the loss of two puppies under 12 weeks of age.

Unable to obtain the life-saving serum which was the first-line substance for treating puppies in the body this young, the owner, with the proper veterinary approval, had to go to plan B and give them NDV in an effort to save them because time was running out. All this was done strictly by the book.

Although the serum might have bought the two pups the time it would take to travel to Atlanta for the CSF procedure, and the owner was willing to pay for it, it did not arrive, one died, and then the other; another example of just how quickly Distemper can strike a dog down and how little time there is to waste.

In times such as these even one day's delay can mean death. The owner did the best she could, and followed all of Dr. Sears' instructions, but this was out of her, (even out of his) control.

Now we are mobilizing our forces to solve this problem of access as quickly as possible. Although we are not likely to have more than a few dogs now and then in special circumstances who cannot be saved by the bird-based NDV thus it is highly unlikely that the demand will ever exceed supply, however, it is the season when the number of Distemper cases increases significantly and we need to be ready to meet the need when and if another similar case presents itself.

When that time comes these especially vulnerable young ones' owners will need to know exactly who to obtain the serum from, and those offering it will need to be prepared to get it to them right away.

We are working on developing serum banks and will begin raising money toward that end at some point so that even those for whom money would be a barrier to treatment will not be out of luck. I know that both Dr. Sears and Dr. Adams would want it that way, as the owner will already have expenses piling up most likely for his or her vet's services.

The founders of this treatment meant for it to be widely available and during the years he practiced, treating dogs in the body, Dr. Sears did not always charge for every single service, as he was doing this because he believed in it, and the good deed spoke for itself in the eyes of the owner, and their beloved pet relieved of suffering, once again restored to health, happy, and enjoying life. The results are their own reward. Besides, a dog is a dog whether it belongs to a rich family or poor one, and they are all just as worthy of our help.

That is what Dr. Sears' life's work is all about, and you can't really put a pricetag on that even though for logistical reasons we are tackling the task of putting a fair price on it for the purposes of the Foundation's future dispersal of funds.

Applicants who want to ask that their expenses be paid to create serum as an "approved serum bank" will be required to comply with certain requirements set forth by the organization, and will be bound by signed contract to follow those requirements as a condition of their arrangement with us.

We are looking for people (owners and their vets) who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Sears' and the late Dr. Adams' work, people who although they might be reimbursed have it in their heart to do this for other dogs and would do it even without pay because it's the right thing to do. These are the kinds of people who would give bone marrow to someone they don't even know when a drive was organized, or who would pull together an effort to raise money for a boy with a deadly form of cancer just because they care.

The actual cost of serum production is not as steep as you might have thought. Below is a quote from Dr. Sears, and he would know since he developed the technique.

"If you provide the donor dog then you are looking at an office call and the price of the assistants time, and the glass bottles (usually free). Need a jugular catheter also. Total cost if you provide the dog is about $100-$150. 00."

If you think you may be interested, let me know, read more about the process and criteria for the dog below, print out, and run this by your vet:

PROCESS FOR MAKING THE SERUM

1. Dog- use a 10-12 month old mixed breed dog, 60-90 lbs, 27.27kg to 40.91kg, young and healthy.

2. Do full lab work-up to eliminate all possible health problems; specially- blood born diseases.

3. Must be previously vaccinated against all local diseases.

4. Do not use breeds or individuals known to have immune deficiency problems.

5. Make up Newcastle virus vaccine 1000 dose vial. (Use only the 6 cc of diluent vial that comes with the NDV or Saline if Diluent is not available). Inject 3.0cc of Diluent or Saline to the NDV vial. Discard the balance remaining from the Diluent vial. The La Sota strain or B-1 are most common. Other strains of this virus should work as well but do not use Killed Virus NDV Vaccine. Use Modified Live NDV. This virus is your cell immunity inducer.

6. Place IV Catheter in dog.

7. Inject 2.0 or 3.0cc of Newcastle virus into the I.V. from your vaccine bottle depending on the official weight of the dog. (Treat dog with I.V fluids accordingly) (Do Not use Corticosteroids)

8. Induction of Newcastle’s disease virus for cellular immune serum (cytokines) may only be done once on any dog. The second time around, only antibodies to Newcastle’s disease are produced. These are of no use and can cause an adverse reaction.

9. Timing is absolutely essential for taking serum against distemper. Take blood 11-12 hours post injection (11-12 hrs post injection= Anti-viral factors=Very effective against Distemper Virus in VIVO.) Timing is important. (Interferon, antiviral, regulatory, anti-inflammatory cytokines all have different times of production).

10. All procedures must be sterile. Just prior to the 11-12 hours post- injection, anesthetize donor dog (approx. 5-10 minutes before).

11. Place Jugular catheter.

12. Start I.V fluids.

13. Withdraw blood between the 11th and 12th hour and inject into 10cc blood vials [sterile no additive vials] and allow the blood to clot. All VETS please take out only up to maximum amount from donor dog. Remove blood just short of putting the dog into shock. That can be determined by the color of the gums and respiratory rate. What is amazing is the speed with which a healthy dog recovers. Fluids of course help recovery. We could take about 250 cc whole blood from a 90 lb dog and get about 100 cc of usable serum.
(A.W. Sears DVM 6/8/09)

14. Centrifuge immediately after clotting for clear serum. Do not allow RBC’s to lyse.

15. Remove serum and place into sterile bottles.

16. Place serum bottles in baggies and store in refrigerator. Bottles of serum can be stored for up to five years in a refrigerator; longer if frozen.

17. Cryo-precipitates may form after refrigeration. Mixing causes clouding. This is not harmful.

18. May be filtered out with a .02micron filter. Keep sterile.

19. All my donor dogs have survived. I have not lost any. (A.W. Sears)


Note: Revisions may be made as new data becomes available.If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Alson W. Sears DVM for further clarification at AntiDistemper@aol.com