Canine distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal, multisystemic viral disease that affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus (CDV).
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A week ago when I noticed that Alodia suddenly lost her appetite, I asked the vet if they could just insert an IV line to hydrate her. They told me that she has respiratory infection which affects the appetite of a puppy. Because she doesn't drink and eat that much anymore, they incorporated vitamins to her intravenous fluid.
The next day, March 14, Alodia bit the injection port cap of the IV catheter so I have no choice but to remove it because it might cause her sepsis if we just let it open.
March 15: Her appetite went back. I was happy to see her eat again...
March 17: We went back to the vet because TJ and I noticed that she has been coughing a lot. An IV line was reinserted and the vet said to continue the meds. That night, Weasley (our shih tzu) died from meningitis. She lost her appetite again so we have no choice but to force feed her.
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| I covered her IV line with a sanitary napkin so she wouldn't bite it again. Haha! |
March 18: TJ and I attended a wedding this day. When he dropped me off at my house, she was so ecstatic to see TJ. Her tail kept wiggling for a short time then she suddenly became pale again. We noticed that Alodia became depressed. We thought that it might probably be caused by our sudden loss from Weasley. They're playmates. She probably wondered why her playmate is missing for a couple of days.
March 19: My sister brought her back to the vet because of phlebitis. Her feet with an IV line became edematous. That probably caused her fever. So the vet said to continue the force feeding instead. We gave her everything that she wants but every time we give her the same type of food on the next time of feeding, she would turn her back on it. So we have to offer different type of foods just to make her eat. I slept in our living room so I could watch her over the whole night.
March 20: It was my rest day so I brought her back to the vet because she still won't eat. The vet told me that she has a poor prognosis which means that she still not recovering. He told me to continue the medicines since respiratory infection in dogs would take 2 weeks to 1 month for them to become fully recovered.
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| This was taken while we were on our way to the vet. The tricycle drivers already know us so Manong Trike driver offered to take us to the vet which was a bit far from our place. We usually take a cab when we go there. |
March 21: While I was at work, I received a bad news from my sister. Alodia had muscle twitching. Because we just had a recent loss from Weasley who had a number of seizures before he died, my sister panicked and brought her to the vet right away. The vet referred Alodia to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in UP Diliman where it was confirmed that she has Distemper. Dr. Lester advised different antibiotics and vitamins for Alodia and recommended to do NDV Spinal Tap on her at Vets in Practice Animal Hospital in Mandaluyong. Because I was still at work, I asked her to buy all the things we need before heading to VIP. So she bought the vaccine from a poultry shop and the medicines in UP.
At 6:30 pm, we left the house and arrived at VIP at around 7:30 pm. When they learned that Alodia is positive in Canine Distemper Virus, they asked us to stay outside to avoid spreading the virus to other dogs confined in that hospital. The vet explained the procedure outside. When I learned that he's going to be sedated, I had second thoughts. There might be a risk that she won't wake up anymore from the sedation especially that she's sick. I called TJ for his opinion. I wanted him to decide because I was afraid of making a wrong decision. He told me to make a risk. I signed a consent before the procedure was done. I couldn't stop crying that night. It was a scary experience for a first time pet owner like me.
The spinal tap was done outside their building. She was shaved at her nape where the vaccine will be injected. Right after shaving, the vet injected an anesthesia... After a couple of minutes, Alodia became groggy then the vet palpated her nape and tried to look for the right site to puncture. After injecting a gauge 22 needle, a clear liquid came out which is probably the cerebrospinal fluid. Then, the vet injected the vaccine slowly and removed the needle after consuming the vaccine.
The vet told me to wait for 2-3 hours for her to wake her up. If she's fully awake, we can take her home and do the next procedure on Saturday which requires us a donor dog. The requirements are: the dog must at least weigh 20 kilograms, must be 1-2 years old and super healthy. The vet also explained to us the procedure... The dog will be tested first if he/she is healthy to undergo the procedure. If he/she passes requirements, he/she will be injected the same type of vaccine that was given to Alodia. Then after 12 hours, at least 100 ml of blood will be extracted and processed to get the serum which in turn will be injected to Alodia. It will be 3 doses of serum from the donor dog every 12 hours. I told TJ about this procedure and he tried to look for donors right away.
To our surprise, after 15 minutes, Alodia woke up. To be honest, it was a 15-minute agony for the three of us (my siblings accompanied me to VIP). So when we saw her awake, we gave praises to God. But still, we waited at least for an hour until the vet (a different one because the one who made the procedure had to attend to an emergency case) told us that she's ready to go home. Again, they reminded us about the donor dog. We promised to go back on Friday (March 23) so that the serum can be donated to Alodia as early as Saturday which is my rest day and TJ's too. I asked her if there's a chance that Alodia would survive this. As a healthcare professional, I know that we don't give false reassurance to our patients. So the vet told me that they can't promise that she would get through this especially that it's already too late when we found out that she has distemper.
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| After the procedure |
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| Yay! Alodia opened her eyes! |
At home, it was surprising to see that she drank lots of water. She was probably thirsty and tired from our travel. She kept on standing on her own feet but unsteady gait was still obvious due to the anesthesia. I fed her an osteorized chicken liver and Ensure as advised by the VIP vet. I knew that she was really hungry. I still fed her through a syringe. She still won't eat by herself.
March 22: At 12 am, we lied on the sofa in our living room and told her to rest. I noticed that she kept on sniffing me. She probably needed a hug. I hugged her until I fell asleep. My brother woke me up because she saw Alodia wanted to stand up and go down... My brother put her to sleep on a comfy blanket with pillow.
At 1:30 am, brother woke me up because Alodia vomited. It was probably caused by the anesthesia or a symptom of her illness.
At 5:00 am, my mother woke me up because I was supposed to go to work. I told her I'll just go on a leave so I can bring her anytime to the clinic if she still continues to deteriorate. I just wanted to be with her today. So I saw her sleeping on the floor... not on the blanket. My mother asked if she's okay... I said, she must be tired from the procedure. I also told her that the vet advised us to give her ample time to rest.
At 6:00 am, I started receiving texts from people who wants to help Alodia. Apparently, TJ's friend posted about our need of a donor dog online. I was really overwhelmed that strangers are willing to help my baby girl. Thank you guys.
At 8:00 am, I tried to wake her up but she still won't respond. It seemed really odd. I put her on my lap and caressed her. I keep calling her name but still, no response. Then, I suddenly felt something on my lap. She urinated... while asleep. I started to worry so I called the VIP immediately. Sad to say, they told me it wasn't a good sign. She's deteriorating and her body system is starting to give up. The lady on the other line (probably a vet) told me to wait and to let her rest. I insisted to rush her to their hospital. I checked her vital signs, it was still okay... Heart rate: 90 beats per minute. Respiratory rate: 60 cycles per minute.
I woke my brother up and asked him if he could take me and Alodia to Mandaluyong. While waiting for my brother, I noticed that her respiration became shallow. I also noticed that her tongue was pale. I started crying. I told her to fight and not to give up. I don't want her to leave me. She is like my "de-stressor". She is my happiness. I know that she came into my life only a month ago but it feels like I have been with her for so long. I love her so much... I don't want to let her go.
On our way to Mandaluyong, we still haven't passed the Elliptical Road when Alodia started moaning so loud. I knew that she was going to leave me that moment so I told my brother to take us to UP instead. On our way to UP... Alodia had 3-4 deep breaths. It seemed like she was trying to get more oxygen. It's like she was drowning. I cried while saying my last words for her. I thank her for bringing joy to our life, to my life... I apologized if she had to suffer this way... And I told her that I love her so much. I also called TJ who gave his last words through speaker phone. After our goodbyes, Alodia stopped breathing. This is the most painful experience I have ever felt so far. I still can't believe that she's gone. I remember I told her that we will still be together at least 10 years from now. I also remember that I once told TJ that I'm really excited to see her grow because I wanna know how big she is since she's a mixed breed of Chowchow and Siberian Husky.
I know that she came into our life because of a purpose... And I know what that purpose is. Thank you Alodia for fixing everything for us. You and Weasley will always be in my heart. Both of you are my angels now. I love you so much... Please keep on guiding us.
Thank you so much to all those people who give their heartwarming condolences. Thank you to those people online who texted and called me about their willingness to help Alodia. Thanks to my friends for sending prayers. Thanks to my family who spoiled her a lot... To my mama who carries her in the morning while praying the rosary. To papa who's not really a pet lover but bought her a desk fan, mop for her urine, etc. To my siblings Nat and Stel for bringing her to the vet while I am at work, for feeding her, cuddling her, etc. Thanks everyone. Thank you. Lastly, thanks to my boyfriend, TJ, for bringing Alodia into our life. You know what that purpose is... Let's be strong. Alodia wants us to be strong. Right?
I love you, Alodia...
December 19, 2011 - March 22, 2012
