September

It was interesting to be able to compare the progression of the disease between the 2 pups.  Frankie was about 9 days behind Young in the progression of the disease.

• Frankie's cough was quickly over in a day. Young did not develop a cough at all. 
• Frankie did not have diarrhea,  Young's never completely cleared up. 
• Honestly don't know about temperature....Frankie's was elevated, but I can only assume that Young's was as I never took his temps. 
• Frankie showed signs that one eye was getting infected.  With the antibiotics, it cleared up in about 2 days.   Young's infection started in one eye, went to the other, the nose, and were still infected when he was put down. 
• Young's hard pads came and were almost completely sloughed off when he died...took about month??   Frankie had hard pads as well...hers are almost completely gone now.

It had now been 30 days since I first noticed Frankie's elevated fever and time for a vet visit.  She was still running a fever, had not gone to the bathroom in a few days, and I was concerned. 
Still contagious, we went through side door at the clinic,  away from the other animal population. Temp: 103 degrees - still elevated. We did notice a slight tremor in her hind legs  - "starting to appreciate myoclonic spasms in rear limbs" were the words on her chart - the first sign that Frankie had neurological damage.
Continue with the antibiotics to combat secondary infections..nothing else that can be done...no way to predict if this is as bad as it gets or if it gets worse.

Once again hindsight...and to anyone else who goes through this...maybe a word of wisdom here.
When Frankie first developed her fever, I stopped taking her for walks.  It was typical 100 degree hot in August and I did not want to wear her out.   She spent almost 24 hours a day sleeping on either her dog bed, the couch, or my bed.
By Mid August,  she was getting weaker.   I did start taking her for short walks...we made it up to the school yard one day, but no running around for her.  She was also getting wobbly.  By the end of August,  she could walk down the driveway, down the sidewalk past a few houses and back, but that was the extent of it.  When you've been feverish and bed-ridden for as long as she had, it made sense that her muscles were weak.

By the first week in September, I realized that I had to do something...I needed her to get the strength back in her legs and was willing to try almost anything.

I considered an alternative treatment -even made an appointment to take Frankie to Austin, TX but decided it was too risky and did not increase her odds.   Lots about that on the web...google "Ed Bonds, NDV serum", and you'll see what I was talking about.

I tracked down a vet who didn't practice traditional medicine but specialized in physical therapy  - they wouldn't see Frankie because she was possibly still contagious.  They did, however, refer me to a vet that practiced traditional and Chinese medicine. 

I thought I hit the lottery when I was able to get an appointment on September 21st to see Dr. B.  By this time, Frankie could barely walk...I had to support her from underneath so that she would not face plant on the sidewalk.