Distemper

A lot of people have shared their experience with their most beloved dogs falling into the clutches of the distemper virus and the succeeding  treatment that will last almost a month. Success or failure everyone has something to share in order the next victim may find a lifeline, albeit a tenuous one, and in turn be able to offer an improved lifeline to future possible victims.
Day 0
Fluffy has been listless, sleeping on a chair most of the day. I didn't think much of it but Mom was worried.
Day 1
He had mucus around his eyes. I recognized it as when my cat had a severe cold. the nose is so stopped up that the snot comes out of the eyes. I forgot it was pneumonia. Mom started antibiotics. (Lucky enough to have a doctor mom. Even though at this time we were limited financially.) Mom also put fluffy on the Oxygen tank when he started to breathe rapidly. She has this at home to deal with her own high blood pressure and vertigo. I was comparatively relieved that it was pneumonia. It meant that it could be treated with antibiotics.
Hopes were shattered when doc sol of don Antonio immediately diagnosed it as distemper.
Week 1
Basically being a virus you just have to keep the dogs strength up until it goes away. But we had to deal with the pneumonia first. I blame my own two dogs for bullying fluffy (one of them just gave birth and was territorial) which lowered his resistance.
We were prescribed doxycycline but it didn't seem to be effective. Mom alternated with cloxacillin which she used before going to the vet. The combination seemed to work.
Near the end of the week he finally sneezed out liquidy snot through his nose and the mucus in the eyes disappeared.
All this time mom has been assiduously hand feeding fluffy with either cerelac or raw egg (using a syringe) mixed with some meat or dog food. Gatorade was our substitute for electrolytes. Thankfully fluffy sometimes had the strength to eat himself, though we had to place the food near his snout. Make sure your dog doesn't have other complications, like worms, that could seriously hinder progress. Remove ticks or fleas by hand since the dog cant take a bath yet.  It would also  be good to have someone look after your dog while you sleep. Mom instructed me to give him some oxygen if the breathing got bad.
week 2
I thought fluffy was just having a nightmare with a tense face and twitching legs. but mom told me that was a seizure. There is a treatment that can cure distemper before it goes to the seizure phase but we found out too late. Not sure if that would be even locally available. I didn't know that every time he has this episodes his brain gets inflamed or bleeds, just like in a stroke. It could be a seizure as long as two hours or a cluster every 15 minutes. Unfortunately the nearby vets wouldn't prescribe gabapentin or Valium to stop the seizures. Theyre known as narcotics and therefore dangerous. Fortunately the internet advised putting ice on the back of his spine, as well as placing a cold wet towel on his head. Mom even faced the electric fan on him. It seems counter intuitive especially after the pneumonia but it did seem to do the trick. Mom insisted more than ever to put him on oxygen to feed his starving brain. Plus vitamin b to help the nervous system heal. Vitamin c to prevent relapse of pneumonia.
Week 3
The seizures have stopped but it's taken its toll. He sleeps all the time and loses balance when he's awake. I could only hope that the brain is healing itself.
End of week 3
I think we're in the clear. He's up longer now though still walking a little unsteadily. All through out this time mom has been taking him out on night air  walks even though around the third week she had to carry him sometimes when he has fallen. She thinks it helps him take his mind off the sickness and helps him feel almost normal. We are a little hampered with finances that we can't go for the more expensive treatments,  like serums or spinal tap. But mom proved that if you're determined and willing to persevere it can be done.