Jennifer Bergman and partner Josh Penny adopted a puppy called "Lily, we think she's a full Golden Retriever. After we noticed her losing the ability to walk we took her to an emergency vet clinic and she was diagnosed with Neospora around 9 weeks of age."

Neospora is an extremely rare parasite in puppies (about 6 in 100,000) and only 1% of puppies who contract it survive. That’s why there’s so little information about it. "It’s a parasite that comes from cattle but can be contracted through the mother if she is asymptomatic and has it, or through raw meat. It attacks the puppies lower spine first (which is why their legs and hips show symptoms first) and if it isn’t treated within a few weeks their whole body will shut down and they will pass away."

Most breeders put the puppies down that have Neospora, "our first vet we took her to recommended we put her down because it would be an “uphill battle”. We did not go back to that vet and we are winning the battle! I wish there was more awareness about Neospora because there is absolutely no reason to put a puppy down with it, if they can get on Clindamycin right away they have a chance to survive and live a long healthy life!"

Jennifer adds "as you can see in the video she’s happy and healthy at 10 weeks, however the parasite has reached her right hind leg so bad that the muscle atrophy has made it nearly impossible for us to bend (which is what we've been trying to do in PT to save it)."

The vet just told Jennifer and Josh "her quality of life will be better without it, as she is basically already a 3 legged dog and that leg is just holding her back since she isn't using it. Once we amputate her leg all traces of the parasite that tried to kill her will be gone and she’ll be the happiest, healthiest little tripod ever!"

Lily "is such an inspiration to us every day and we’re so lucky to be her puppy parents. She went from crawling on the ground and barely able to stand to almost running in just 3 weeks!"

These videos were filmed between February and May 2021 in their home in Colorado, US.

Late Night Radio by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhtL-6Cf5Xk

License: Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)