Maya was bred to Gamegards UKON v Brie to produce STONE, our "Proud Survivor" from the "U" litter. 
He is loved by Katherine and "Santa" (AKA Norman). Merry Christmas 2001 little Stone...
Rest well my little ones. You are forever in our hearts :o(

Brie's Unim E Pluribus - Translates to "One From Many" in Latin
This is Stone's story:

Little Stone is the remaining puppy from this gorgeous litter, of what was 8 puppies. 6 boys 2 girls. Maya whelped 5 days early, due to the severe stress response of a fight she had with one of our other girls, and an emergency visit to our vet. She whelped naturally and easily, and was a terrific mother. At one week old, the puppies began one by one, to become sick. Within 6 hours of symptoms, the puppy would tragically and painfully die. This was devastating to us, as breeders, watching our beautiful babies die so horribly and so quickly. I frantically searched for a cure. They were bombarded with mega doses of many antibiotics, nebulizers and breathing treatments, all to no avail. Heartbroken, I called vets, breeders, friends, I searched the internet. I sent the first puppy to be necropsied, and the results weren't here fast enough to save most of the litter. Finally, I was given the name of a vet in Florida, who specialized in a viral disease called CANINE HERPES VIRUS. What did I have to loose? I began the treatment. IT WORKED!! The last puppy rapidly turned around, and was saved. Please read on to understand this horrible virus, how to (hopefully) avoid it, or to treat it once it a litter has become affected.  Read on...I do this in the hope that I can save another puppy, and breeder from the heartbreak of this disease. Canine Herpes Virus affects mothers who are stressed, and exposed, as poor Maya was. She is fine now! :o)

Canine herpes virus is part of the kennel cough complex it is one of the most common viruses our dogs are exposed to. Any bitch who has been to a show, a kennel, a training class, probably has been exposed to herpes virus and when she has the puppies, she passes some protection to the puppies through the colostrum. The herpes virus causes an extreme vasculitis and hemorrhaging throughout the body and is almost always fatal if not treated IMMEDIATELY. In an adult dog their normal body temperature remains above 100 degrees, so when affected, the virus causes only a mild cough. A newborn puppy's normal temperature is 96 degrees, and does not consistently reach 100 degrees until 3-4 weeks of age.

NEONATAL HERPES VIRUS

My personal observations of External Canine Herpes Virus symptoms: 

  • You MAY hear a small cough from one or more pups (I heard one pup cough the first day)

  • Slightly congested sound at first, although they are nursing well and appear fat and healthy

  • Congestion increases

  • Nursing stops

  • When the chest is listened to using a stethoscope, a tiny whimpering or whistling sound is heard, along with the obvious congestion

  • As the virus advances, the whimpering becomes clearly audible without aid, and when death is near, the pain is evident in the pup's gurgling cries

  • Mucous flows freely from the nostrils immediately prior to death

  • Death occurs generally within 6 hours from onset of even mild symptoms, advancing rapidly and painfully

  • The mother is generally unaffected physically or she may have a mild cough (Maya was devastated at loosing her babies, she cared for latex toys) 

My personal observations of Internal Canine Herpes Virus symptoms, upon gross exam: (a breeder can note these internal symptoms himself, thus expediting diagnosis if you are comfortable with *doing a gross necropsy* for yourself to examine him. Email me for instructions on how to proceed if you are unsure , these experiences are the result of many years spent working as a biologist in an avian toxicology lab)

  • Lungs are pale and full of purulent (pus-like) infection

  • Kidneys (2 small oval shaped organs under the liver) are enlarged, very pale pink and mottled with white spots

  • Liver (the large organ covering the abdominal area) may also be very pale pink and mottled with white spots

To (hopefully) avoid Canine Herpes Infection, Keep your bitch AWAY from other females during late pregnancy and after whelping (and HOME if possible). Once the pups are born, keep them VERY warm for the first 3-4 weeks of life, above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The mother will not like this, but this virus HATES heat and the maternal warmth provided, even if in your BEDROOM like mine were, is NOT ENOUGH.  By 2 weeks of age they are able to shiver or pant and somewhat regulate their own body temperature. 

If you think your pups are affected, the treatment is as follows:

TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUAL PUPPIES ILL WITH HERPES
Until recently all puppies manifesting herpes illness died within a very short period of time, usually within a few hours of showing symptoms.  There are however two techniques for the treatment of these puppies that have had considerable success.
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TREATMENT 1
Ronald Bell, DVM

  • Puppy should weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.

  • Acyclovir powder in capsules:    Mix 200 mg capsule in 10c.c. of warm water.  The powder will not dissolve but is suspended.  Administer 0.5 c.c. (10 mg) to each puppy every 6 hours until puppies are 3 1/2 weeks old. My vet had our local pharmacist flavor it with beef

  • Place in incubator (I put the pups in the top side of an airline crate with a heat lamp above)

  • Give fluids orally (I allowed Stone to nurse at will)

Treatment of puppies does not guarantee  that  reproductive lesions will not appear before puberty.  Lesions are found both in the prepuce (balanophthitis) and vagina, however, no reproductive symptoms have been observed in the treated puppies. Stone is fine!

TREATMENT 2 (I personally have not tried this method)
 Technique by: A.W. Sears, DVM

  • Puppy should weigh between 1 and 3 pounds

  • DISTEMPER ANTI VIRAL SERUM:    Administer 1 c.c. subcutaneously to each puppy every 12 hours for 36 hours, (3 doses).

  • Lasix:    One drop orally, (To control lung edema)

  • Kaon (Potassium Gluconate elixir):    Administer one drop orally every hour for 3 hours, (To control loss of potassium).

  • Chloromycetin:    Administer 0.05c.c. orally once daily, (to control lung infection).

  • Gancylovir:    Administer 0.1 c.c. subcutaneously to each puppy.

  • Incubator:    Keep puppies in incubator at 96 degrees for 24 hours.

  • Fluids:    Give plenty of fluids orally, sugar water works well, as do neonatal puppy formulas.

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TREATMENT OF SICK LITTERS
Newborn puppies from suspected kennels or dams with herpes virus can be treated with a subcutaneous injection of 1c.c. of Distemper anti viral serum given to each puppy immediately after birth and repeated 24 hours later.  This will dramatically reduce the death rate.

Good luck!