Carolyn,
I happen to own a male that had exposure to distemper as a pup. He
was imported to me when he was a year and a half old. I knew before he
left the UK that he was not inoculated and as soon as I took him out of his
crate upon arrival to the US I saw there was something wrong. I had my vet
draw blood and do a full panel before he was given any inoculations here.
The results came back exposure to distemper. I could have just place him
back on a plane and send him back to the breeder who "saw nothing wrong with
him". I couldn't do that considering he would have to be placed into
quarantine. I have had him now for over a year, he is very well adjusted.
He has a minimal amount of brain damage, and a tilt to his head. He
functions absolutely normally in every way. In fact he is health cleared in
all other areas. He is one of the sweetest dogs I own not to mention he is
beautiful. He is not what I bargained for, but I wouldn't trade him in for
a better model. His breeder, and those aware of his condition in the UK
should be ashamed of themselves for not taking the time to find out what was
wrong or even to have owned up to it.
If your pup is exposed to distemper, that does not mean it is a death
sentence. The manifestations can be different in every dog and might be
very minimal. I would watch the puppy very carefully and make comparisons
to other puppies. Judge how he reacts to different situations and stimuli.
She just might react slower. I have a feeling that if caught early enough
the damage can be minimized. I wish you luck and my heart goes out to
you. Linda Berrman
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