Success Stories

Doc, October, 2000

Doc was rescued by Central California Labrador Retriever Rescue from the Sacramento County Animal Shelter shortly before he was to be euthanized. No owner had stepped forward to claim this 1 year old yellow boy, and he had unfortunately also contracted kennel cough while at the shelter.

Doc's foster mom applied to LABMED for funding. Doc's illness had turned into pneumonia and she had another foster dog with the same aggressive type of kennel cough; two of her own dogs were sick as well. Just shortly after she had applied for funding, she found out that Doc's distemper blood titer was positive. She was now very worried but the vet explained that the positive result was more than likely because Doc had been immunized just a short while ago. The vet explained that Doc showed no signs of distemper and he believed that treating him with antibiotics and IV fluids would get him healthy again quickly. LABMED decided to fund Doc's treatment.

The vet was right. Doc responded very well to the antibiotics and was ready to go home after a few days at the clinic. But he didn't do as well as expected and when he came off the antibiotics he relapsed. So once again treatment with antibiotics was started. On the bright side, Doc has found his forever home. His foster parents fell in love with him and decided to adopt him. The vet suspects that Doc did have distemper after all; luckily he seems to have avoided all of the neurological problems that can be associated with it. His new parents are very happy with him and think that Doc is the best Lab in the world.