The other foster parent who had five puppies, and I with four went into 'overdrive' taking care of the pups. We couldn't afford to hospitalize them, and didn't know if that would improve the outcome. With the vet's advice, we began treating symptoms.....fluids twice a day for everyone, and Tamiflu to try to reduce the viral load the little guys were fighting. For five of the puppies (one whole litter) the method worked, and those lucky guys are living large---really large!--in their forever homes. Four puppies, the other litter that were possibly more susceptible to the virus, could not be saved by our methods....
I'm sharing this new treatment protocol to help puppies that might now be treated successfully, with a big 'paws up' to pet parents and rescuers who will give this a try. Yes, thousands of dollars can be saved....by this reckoning the treatment can be completed for 10% of what it would cost to hospitalize. But MILLIONS of puppies could be saved. Please make sure your veterinarian knows about this study....the puppies thank you!