It is my professional opinion, based on experience, that yes, canine distemper can be cured. We have treated many patients afflicted with canine distemper virus (CDV), who have recovered and gone on to live normal, healthy lives. A diagnosis of distemper does not have to have terminal consequences, as this article explains.

It is not uncommon for veterinarians to see coughing puppies or young dogs recently adopted from local animal shelters. They are routinely diagnosed with kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) and sent home with appropriate antibiotics to overcome the bacteria that causes kennel cough. While this works most of the time, sometimes the patient has contracted a more serious disease and gets worse despite using increasingly powerful antibiotics. These puppies begin running fever, become lethargic, develop discharge from the eyes or nose (or both), and may eventually develop uncontrollable seizures.

Canine distemper is a virus that mimics kennel cough in its early stages. Being a virus, it is completely unresponsive to antibiotics. Unfortunately, in conventional veterinary medicine, it is assumed that no effective treatment for viral disease exists. Therefore, no form of antiviral therapy is utilized. While intensive antibiotic and supportive care may be administered, the patient is left to fend off the virus on its own. With the more lethal viruses like canine distemper, the disease usually wins, and the patient dies.

Owners of dogs diagnosed with distemper frequently have two questions:

What are the symptoms and progression of disease with CDV?

History of being adopted from an animal shelter or humane organization
(any place young, unvaccinated animals may be housed together)
Cough that is persisting despite 7-10 days of antibiotic treatment
Fever of 103ºF. or more
Discharge from the eyes or nose
Loss of appetite, depression
Unrelenting cough due to secondary pneumonia
Progressive weakness
Muscle twitches or ticks, seizures, “chewing-gum” fits
Death

While this is a typical disease progression of distemper, there are numerous cases of atypical distemper. In some instances, neurological symptoms may occur early in the disease process. Patients exhibiting these symptoms have a poor to grave prognosis.

The second question, “Can distemper be cured?” has a two-part answer:

“No, it cannot be cured,”
and
“Yes, it can.”

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM:

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a serious illness that can lead to
death. While there is no cure for (CDV)…
www.VetInfo.com
There is no cure for the disease (CDV)…
www.DogPro.com
Canine distemper is a contagious, incurable, often fatal multi-systemic
viral disease…
www.AnimalHeatthChannel.com
At this time, there is no cure for the actual virus which causes canine
distemper.
www.BreederUSA.com
There is no treatment available that kills the virus (CDV) once it infects
the dog.
www.PetPlace.com
There is presently no effective antiviral treatment against canine
distemper virus.
Kirk’s Current Veterinary Therapy XI

UNCONVENTIONAL WISDOM:

Effective antiviral treatment against canine distemper is available.
The canine distemper virus can be killed.
There is a cure for canine distemper.

(The above are Dr. Ward’s opinions based on his clinical experience and may not represent the viewpoint or understanding of mainstream veterinary medicine.)

If the virus that causes canine distemper is not neutralized, the patient will probably die.  If, on the other hand, the virus is eliminated in a timely fashion, the patient will likely live.

Over the last 10 years, Dr. Ward has researched and developed a therapeutic protocol for treating canine distemper that has resulted in a recovery rate of approximately 80%. At its core, the method utilizes a technique described in 1991 (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association), using ultra low dose human recombinant interferon to treat leukemia virus in cats. We altered their interferon protocol to tailor it for distemper patients and included certain nutrients and immune stimulants to enhance the patient’s chance of recovery.  We call our modified protocol “PAC (Plano Animal Clinic) antiviral therapy” and have continued to fine-tune it over the years in an effort to achieve the best possible results.

In our hands, PAC antiviral therapy has been a game changer and has heralded a paradigm shift in our own understanding and treatment of viral diseases. As of August 2009, we have had approximately 120 cases of canine distemper recover (diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and progression of illness). For this to happen, it seems only logical that 1) our antiviral therapy is being effective, 2) the distemper virus is being killed, and 3) distemper patients are being cured.

In order to be effective, however, timeliness of treatment is paramount. Treating a sick patient too long for a “stubborn case of kennel cough” may spell disaster for a patient actually suffering with distemper. The longer antiviral therapy is delayed, the more likely irreversible debilitation and seizures are to occur. The window of opportunity for successful treatment begins to close after 10 days (or less) of illness.

Most of the distemper patients we treat recover before experiencing any neurological symptoms, because we address the virus directly. Our PAC antiviral protocol apparently retards the ability of the virus to replicate, limits the likelihood of uninfected cells becoming infected, and aids the patient’s immune system in clearing the residual virus from the body.

However, the take-home message is this:

The longer a dog has been showing symptoms of canine distemper, the less likely it is to survive. Beginning antiviral therapy on a young dog that has been ill for weeks greatly limits the opportunity for a successful outcome.

NOTE:  State law prohibits us from consulting with the owner of any pet that we have not personally examined. Your understanding in this matter is appreciated.  Consultation with your pet’s veterinarian is permissible, though we do charge for this service. As with any other conventional or alternative medical therapy, there is no stated or implied guarantee of success with any treatment protocol used at Plano Animal Clinic or recommended by Dr. Ward.