stumbling

Hey anyone who can give me all insight I would like it. I recently got a dog from the humane society here where I live but had to put it to sleep cause it had come with canine distemperment. the vet told us wait 3 to four months and clean the house really good to help kill the disease. so we did that. and my totems had got a dog from there around the same time I did. he got stationed to Germany so I took the dog from him cause behead going take it back. bit about a week ago I took him to a vet for an ear infection which I though was throwing him off balance cause he trips over his back legs. So I asked the vet about that. and she told me that there was an outbreak of canine dismemberment here and that it could be that he came in.contact with it but just has nerve damage now or could be hip displasia. but I couldn't afford the X-rays cause I took him in for his ear infection and wasn't expecting him to need those. but my question is that have you.heard of dog coming in.contact with canine dismemberment and not actually having it or them having it and just getting nerve damage. cause when I took my dog I originally adopted the vet said he had.to be put to sleep and dogs rarely survive it