This is Light’s diary in fighting against distemper, a contagious viral disease that causes 70% to 80% dog fatalities. Follow this blog post and let us learn on how to give a good fight against this disease.

Hi everyone, my name is Light and I am a Shih Tzu Maltese breed. Dad bought me last September 3, 2011 as a graduation gift for mom. I had all vaccinations when I was still a puppy, the same with my elder brothers Laplace (Doberman Labrador) and Cronus (Great Dane) but was not able to have a follow-up vaccine then on. But mom and dad always see to it to play with us. I often accompany mom to the plaza for her jogging.

Around the third week of September 2014 I suffered from dry cough and running nose. My family thought that this is just a normal cough and running nose until I start to have lots of mucus in my eyes, then they thought that it’s just because of my fur so tatay cut my fur face but after several days nothings change, until mom notice that I started to get groggy while walking.

What is distemper?

It is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus and is the leading cause of infectious disease deaths in dogs, Worldwide. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, listlessness, and a watery discharge from the eyes and nose.

This diary started October 17, 2014 Friday.

Day 1- October 17, 2014 – The Discovery

Mom, dad and my little cousin Dimdim went to the veterinary clinic to inquire if the vet is around but he is out. It is because he is the City vet and he has to be in his office. They went home, fetch me and we went to see the vet in the City vet office. The announcement came seconds after the doctor look at me (yes just one look, no touching and all) I have DISTEMPER. He explained to mom and dad that it’s a contagious viral disease and that I should be quarantined and should take 2 tablets of B complex (B1, 6, 12) every 6 hours. The doctor told them that he will visit me at home early in the morning for my injectables. He has also informed us that I am the 5th case of distemper here in our City.

Day 2 – October 18, 2014 The Struggle

Mom and dad did not gave me medication this morning because we are waiting for the doctor. 10:00am came and he is still not around so mom contacted him and he told us that he has to run for an emergency that if it’s possible that his assistant would execute the medication and mom said yes. After 10 minutes the assistant came and I was given 2 shots, 1 anti bacterial this is to avoid further complications and the other one is to improve my appetite. Then mom ask if what he could give to my brothers so that they will not suffer distemper much than I do then the assistant told mom that he will ask the doctor and will just contact mom. I am still feeling weak, I don’t want to eat and still suffering from involuntary muscle contraction – the reason why I hardly walk and stand. Mom and dad is helping each other to feed me with cerelac and for my medications they have to force me with it. Dad opening my mouth and mom putting in the medicine in my mouth and I hate it. The assistant told us that one of our neighbors, 4th house from ours – their 3 dogs has distemper and one of them died :(. I am really afraid.

Day 3 – October 19, 2014  –More Medications

Mom did not hear from the vet’s assistant. I am happy that mom and dad spent an hour for me every 6 hours (3 hours every day) to feed me and give my medications. Mom did some research and saw that other mama and papa are giving vitamin C to their pets that are also suffering from distemper. She contacted the vet and the assistant to confirm if its okay to give me ascorbic acid and the assistant replied yes, so now aside from the 2 B complex I am taking, I also have to take 2 tablets of vitamin C every 6 hours. The assistant told mom that he will be visiting the next day to give kuya Cronus a shot.

Day 4 – October 20, 2014  – The Seizure

I am feeling lively today. I was just slowly walking back and forth in the bench. I manage to urinate with dads help, because I still have muscle contraction, so dad has to assist me while urinating and then mom wash the place where I pee with water and diluted powdered soap. I am still spoon feed with cerelac and I start to like the taste of it. Mom and dad decided to dilute my medicines in water and mix it in my food. I hate the smell of it but if I won’t eat it they will for sure use a syringe again so I need to lick every bits of it. Dad as always is patiently cleaning my face because I still get lots of mucus in my eyes. Today mom saw me while having a seizure that lasted for several seconds. I know it freak her out because he keeps on checking on me every now and then, but I am determined to be okay and be healthy again.

Day 5– October 21, 2014  – Team SHAKOY

I heard dad saying that my health is improving and I can feel it too. Even with involuntary muscle contraction my appetite is better. I have eaten fried chicken which mom and tatay tear into pieces and drink water using my own feeder. I still have to eat cerelac because it iswhere my
medications are mixed. What makes me happy today is that I ate my ever favorite food- SHAKOY. Every afternoon nanay buy me and my brothers shakoy. Today mom buy some and nanay feed it to me. I ate 3 1/2 pieces but I did vomit some of it. Hopefully I recover the soonest because I cant wait to run around and play with my kuya Laplace and Cronus.

Day 6 October 22, 2014 – Platito

I am feeling healthier today but mom insist that I should stay in my pen. My please look and howl is not working for her at all. I still have involuntary muscle contraction but I manage to poop by my own, well the first one. The second one mom helped me out because I keep on falling. I am still taking 2 tablets of B Complex and 2 tablets of ascorbic acid. My milestone for today is I ate cerelac using a saucer. Hopefully I get better really soon because I wanted to go out and play.

Day 7 – October 23, 2014– Paghot (Bark)

I’m still having uncontrolled muscle contraction and mom is still helping me poop and dad is assisting me when I pee but I can feel that I’m getting stronger, like today, dad let me roam around the garden and I saw mark our neighbor pass by. As what I usually do, I run as fast as I can towards the gate and bark my lungs out. I really have no idea why I barked at him, I just enjoyed it a lot. 🙂

Day 8 – October 24, 2014– Wipe Out

Let’s talk a bit dirty today (evil look). Diarrhea is one of the symptoms of distemper and I have it since day 1. If you know I am a fury little dog and my butt is of no excuse. To make the ewwness short, there are some poop left in my butt and a lot in my fur. So what my parents did is they totally clean my butt and by that I mean mom holding me uptight while dad is cutting all the fur in my butt, wipe it with cloth, soap and clean water. Thanks mom and dad for cleaning my behind.

Day 9 – October 25, 2014– Samad

I almost forgot to tell you guys that it’s been 3 days that I have this cut in my right back paws. Dad my personal vet told mom the pretty vet assistant that it is either cause by fungi or the distemper virus. I usually shrug each time I saw mom brought that betadine mix with antimicrobial medicine because it is really painful. My daily routine with mom and dad for the past 3 days is with that antimicrobial powder in my paws. Well this cut is not that much compared to my distemper but as always my parents wanted the best for me so bring that betadine and antimicrobial on.

Day 10- October 26, 2014 – Mommy’s Day Out

Today, mom has to go for a little trip with aunt Marez and Chubz so I have dad all by myself this good Sunday. Dad feed and clean me and the best part being with dad alone is that he lets me play longer than mom. Yes, you know mom’s, they tend to get overprotective when your sick and I think my mom is the first honor of all mom in terms of being protective and dad is just being as cool as always, so hurrah for running – just don’t tell mom for sure dad will get a little scolding.

Day 11-  October 27, 2014 – Playing Tag

Everyday mom and dad gets up early to take good care not just of me but of my other brothers. They make sure to clean kuya Cronus pen every now and then. They tend to them first before attending to my needs so as to protect them from getting sick. For the record mom and dad wears a separate set of clothing. One pair for me and another pair for my brothers. The funniest thing that happen today is that I play tag with mom. I let her chase me until under the jeep. Its so funny seeing mom crawling just to get me. hahahahaha

Day 12 – October 28, 2014 – Shake it Off

I never felt livelier than ever. I can manage to pee and poop by my own. I don’t shake that much anymore, dad said that I still have involuntary muscle contraction but only a little. My cut is also okay now, thank God no more painful betadine and antimicrobial powder for me. I thank God for giving me my mom and dad who is always there for me.
Day 13 – October 29, 2014 – Tingal Again
I don’t know why dad and mom still wants me to drink my medicine. I’m feeling okay already. So, today I decided not to drink my medicine by not eating my food and to my dismay I was force by my parents to drink my B complex and Ascorbic acid. Mom melt the tablets in water, placed it in the syringe, dad holding my head and forcefully opening my mouth, and then mom shot the meds in my mouth (ofcourse without the needle). Lesson for today – Eat and drink meds.

Day 14 – October 30, 2014 – Samad No More
So last few days I have shared with you that aside from my distemper, my right paws is swelling, but today it is more than better. It is not itchy anymore and dad is not applying antibacterial medecine on it. So today I run and run and run some more while mom is watching nearby. So what do you think? I’m feeling better right! Today

Day 15 – October 31, 2014 – 15 days After Distemper Diagnosis
The whole family is really happy on the improvements of my health. As what nanay said “bag-ong kinabuhi” meaning “new life”. Indeed this is a new life for me, imagine I belong to the 30% survivor of this sickness. Hurrah to new life.

Day 16 & 17 – November 1 & 2, 2014 – Remembering the Dead
Yesterday afternoon, mom has to go home to Bohol to remember her departed family member (my lolo, mom’s papa) and relatives. Dad has to stay because his family is here. The whole family went to the cemetery and I was left with my brothers and yes, I am still in my pen. The beauty of not having mom around is that I have longer times to run around the garden because dad allows me too. 🙂 Mom will be back tomorrow and dad told me that if mom approves I’ll be out in my pen permanently, crossing my paws.

Day 18 – November 3, 2014 – Out At last
One of the most beautiful day I ever had so far. I told you guys that I hate staying in my pen, though its big enough for me to walk around it just don’t feel right being enclosed. Today mom arrives from Bohol but no treats for us so boooo mom, hehehe. The reason why I am really happy today is that I am allowed to stay outside my pen. Yipey! I got to run and run and bark and bark, though mom told me not to play too much because if I get stressed I will be sick again and she will have to put me in my pen or I have to stay in my pen for hours every day. So got to go guys, I will be playing with my brothers.

Day 19 – November 4, 2014 – Less Medication
Yesterday, I had so much fun playing. I bark at every person who passes by the house, I keep on chasing my brother Laplace and I enjoyed myself
watching the fishes in the new pond that tatay built. I am still in medication but in low dosage. Instead of having 2 B Complex and 2 Ascorbic
Acid every 6 hours I now had 1 B Complex and 1 Ascorbic Acid every 6 hours everyday.

Day 20 – November 5, 2014 – Dog Food
I am still having chicken every meal and today mom decided to mix dog food over my chicken. It’s been a while since I had dog food because from the time I was sick all I ate was cerelac, shakoy and chicken. I eat only a bit because i found it a little hard to chew.

Day 21 – November 6, 2014 – Fun in the Sun
All I did today was play. I hope I can go to board walk like just before. Walk together with my dog playmates and jog with mom. Well maybe sooner, if it is sure that I am allowed to play with other dogs and not let them have my sickness.

Day 22 – November 7, 2014 – Full Recovery
Today mom and I went to see the veterinarian Thank God he is in the city vet office. He check on me and congratulate me for being alive. He told me how lucky I am to have my parents to take good care of me. Before we went home, the vet give me a B-Complex shot. Mom told him that I will have to get the 5 in 1 vaccine as well as my brothers. The doctor says that I can have next week. He also advice mom to lower my medication dosage to 2 B Complex and 1 ascorbic acid a day, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening for the B Complex and 1 ascorbic acid in the morning after eating.

Day 23 – November 8, 2014 – Mom and Dad’s Monthsary
Today is mom and dad’s 92nd Monthsary and I just wanted to greet them a happy monthsary and wish them more happiness and love.

Day 24 – November 9, 2014 – A Good Bath
It’s been a month since I had my last bath and yes, it feels so good. One thing to avoid having distemper is taking a bath and cold air. This is because of the high fever that a distemper dog suffers. At first I don’t want to get wet but mom was really persistent so at the end I am smelling good and feeling fresh. One sign that I am really okay and good to play outside with other dogs.

This maybe my last update on this diary, but I am pretty sure that you will be hearing from me again but not with having distemper or any sickness. Thank you for being with me as I fight against this sickness, and I hope that you will always take good care your furry babies just as mom and dad did to me.

I Love You All 🙂

Light

Meet geemiz

Geezelle Maningo - A Cebu based travel blogger and the other half of GeeMiz Travel blog. She has been traveling around the Philippines and Asia since 2010 with her husband. A casual trekker/hiker since 2017 and has been blogging since 2008. A digital marketer during workdays and a bookworm on lazy days - she co-founded Cebu Book Club.

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