Distemper Treatment with Newcastle Disease Vaccine and Serum

Case Presentation:

Species            : Canine

Breed               : X German Shepherd

Sex                  : Female Spayed

Age                  : 4 years

Weight             : 21.4 kg

Name               : “Bella”

“Bella” was adopted from a rescue society operating in a rural area of Alberta, Canada, where the general dog population is poorly vaccinated.  She presented with a fever (39.5 degrees Celsius), a chronic (3 weeks) non-responsive pneumonia, a muco-purulent conjunctivitis and nasal discharge.  Over the previous 3 days she had developed chorea (neurological muscular twitching) of the facial muscles and hind legs.  A presumptive diagnosis of “Canine Distemper Virus” (CDV) was made.

The owner had found a reference on the internet to a treatment protocol recommendation by a “Dr Sear’s” involving the intra-thecal (into the spinal fluid) injection of Newcastle Disease (NCD)vaccine.  This is a chicken disease which is related to the distemper paramyxo virus and in fact the human measles vaccine.

 “Bella” was anesthetized (Hydromorphone 0.15ml I/V followed by Ketamine 1ml and Valium 1ml I/V and then Isoflurane maintenance at 2%) and surgically prepped for a cisterna magna “spinal tap”, CSF fluid was collected for laboratory analysis, and 0.5ml of reconstituted NCD vaccine was injected into the spinal fluid. “Bella” was than allowed to wake up from anesthetic.  This was uneventful with no signs of discomfort or twitching or seizuring.

At this time 1ml of  NCD reconstituted vaccine was administered I/V.

The same day “Bella” was discharged with the following medications:

1)      Phenobarbital 30mg – 1 tablet 2 x daily to be given if required for twitching or seizures

2)      Doxycycline 100mg – 1 tablet 2 x daily for 2 weeks for the secondary infection of pneumonia.

3)      Antibiotic eye drops for the conjunctivitis

Laboratory results from IDEXX submitted for a “Canine” Distemper Virus (CDV) Real PCR was POSITIVE for canine distemper.  This is a DNA test which becomes positive only if the CDV organism is detected, and therefore the most likely cause of the clinical signs of this patient.

Following this treatment, “Bella” made a steady recovery.  She experienced some minor muscle twitching and petit-mal seizures in the 1st month post treatment, these were well controlled with the Phenobarbital.  Following this she no longer required Phenobarbital and recovered to full health, with minor muscle twitches only evident while she was resting or asleep.

Discussion:

This dog was positively diagnosed by CSF tap to have distemper virus in her spinal fluid. Extensive veterinary experience of neurological distemper patients is that they progressively become worse, with euthanasia or death ensuing.  Very few survive the neurologic episode, and those that do have significant chorea, facial and limb muscle twitching forever. The fact that “Bella” made an almost complete recovery is therefore significant.

The use of the intravenous New Castle Disease vaccine is interesting.  According to Dr Sear’s protocol he would use “distemper serum” made by inoculating a healthy dog with NCD vaccine and then harvesting the serum after 24 hours.  As we never had any “serum” on hand, I decided to use NCD vaccine as an intravenous immuno-stimulant in addition to the intra-thecal NCD vaccine injection.

The rapid recovery from the chronic pneumonia and the recovery from the neurologic form of distemper following this treatment is indeed remarkable.

Note to Reader:

Prior to “Bella’s” treatment we were presented with two puppies with neurological (cerebral) distemper, from the same rescue group.  These puppies went to the USA for the above described treatment.  One was already significantly advanced and did not survive, but the other puppy not only did well, but continues to be a perfectly happy, healthy and normal dog.  I would have no hesitation to repeat this treatment protocol for any owner willing to go forward with this approach.  We know that there is an almost 100% mortality rate without this treatment.  I would also try to get the treatment done immediately as possible after diagnosis, so that we can try to limit even the loss of the puppy mentioned above.