“It’s terrifying. One of the worst things that can happen to a kennel,” says Peggy, licensed breeder.
For several years, Peggy has been a breeder of bernedoodles. “I love my puppies and dogs. They are so important to me,” Peggy says. But in 2015 one of her puppies got sick. “He started vomiting so I took him to the vet. The vet confirmed it was parvo. I knew that when you get parvo it is hard to get rid of and there is a good possibility that it’s the end of your kennel. I was devastated,” she recalls.
Peggy had been vaccinating her dogs to prevent this very thing from happening. When she called Revival to report the vaccine, a Pet Care Pro put her in touch with Dr. Bramlage, Revival’s former Director of Veterinary Services. “Ninety days is the highest risk of repeat cases as wild virus numbers are high. In this case I knew we must get everything right,” Dr. Bramlage recalls. Since she had been doing vaccinations, Dr. B felt this puppy’s titer was low and that’s how he became susceptible. “He thought there was a good chance the puppy’s mom had brought the parvo in on her paws,” she says.
“My goal was to save that puppy. I suggested lots of fluids and start the puppy on a high fat, high protein diet as soon as the vomiting subsided. I told her to stay away from a high carbohydrate or sugar diet or she would see diarrhea and other intestinal problems,” Dr. B says.
Peggy explained to Dr. Bramlage the vaccination protocol she had been using. “I had been alternating between NeoPar and NeoVac. Dr. Bramlage informed me that what I had been doing didn’t necessarily catch everything. I needed to break up my vaccines and do different mixtures,” Peggy recalls.
“I suggested that she start straight parvo, such as NeoPar and follow with a 5-way such as Nobivac, Ft. Dodge or Solo Jec. I explained to her that we want to attack two different Parvo strains so we want to use two different companies’ vaccines. You get a much higher response with different strains,” Dr. Bramlage says.
“He also guided me to effective and safe cleaning solutions to disinfect my kennel such as the Wysiwash Sanitizing System. I did exactly what he said and I didn’t have it come back. Because of Dr. B’s help, my kennel is now parvo free and the puppy successfully pulled thru the illness and found its forever home,” she says. “After 90 days we can breathe a little easier that we won this battle!” Dr. Bramlage adds.
A parvo diagnosis is terrifying and, having gone through it, Peggy offers this advice. “Be level headed and don’t be anxious. Having a trusted source to help and guide you through this type of situation is invaluable. Dr. Bramlage saved my kennel. And even after my issue had been resolved, Revival called me back to check in. It felt so nice to know they truly cared. Having a reliable and knowledgeable resource is priceless,” Peggy says.
Share Your Pet Care Victory With Us
You strive to raise healthy and happy pets. You love the feeling of holding that newborn puppy and seeing the joy a new pet brings to a child’s face. At Revival we want to celebrate these wins because we understand that keeping pets healthy comes with challenges.
In our series, Pet Care Victories, we are highlighting YOU and your pet care wins! We know that even the best of us sometimes struggle with the health of our animals. And while at that time it can feel frustrating and devastating, it’s important to remember you are not alone. When we share our knowledge and passion with each other, we can all be on the winning team.
Want help solving tough pet health problems? Call one of our Pet Care Pros today at 800.786.4751.
Written by: Shelley Hexom
Content Manager
Shelley Hexom is Revival's Content Manager and helps develop educational pet health resources. A three-time Emmy® Award-winning news anchor, Shelley works with Revival's Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Marty Greer, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, to help create useful and easy-to-understand articles, videos, and webinars. Shelley received her bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Winona State University in 2002. As a pet owner, Shelley enjoys time with her Boxer mix, Sally. Shelley has been part of the Revival Paw Squad since 2016.
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