A dog & canine forum. DogBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » DogBanter forum » Dog forums » Dog breeds
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

nightmare whelping (was The Dog Whisperer)



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 13th 06, 01:40 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.behavior,rec.pets.dogs.breeds
Amy Dahl
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 368
Default nightmare whelping (was The Dog Whisperer)

crosspost to r.p.d.breeds added

Handsome Jack Morrison wrote:

On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:48:06 -0400, Handsome Jack Morrison
wrote:


PS: For those of you thinking about getting into breeding, say, just
for the heck of it, etc., think back to these posts about Amy's and
Diddy's ordeals.


I've been wanting to reply to this, but am so busy with patient care
and bottle feeding puppies and the need to try to catch up on other
work and the piled up phone calls, it's difficult. Will try to
summarize.

Big plans for breeding, including some really good homes lined up
before we did the breeding. Dam has produced some super dogs,
mostly in pet/hunting homes; this was to be her last breeding. Four
competitive homes lined up--chance to finally prove some of her get
publically and get them out there for the next generation.

Eight puppies born on day 57, catching us by surprise. Long labor.
One puppy somewhat deformed; don't know if birth defect or a
preemie.

Gradual fading and death of six puppies, despite warmth and close
supervision to make sure all nursed frequently, etc.

Just short of the 2-week point, I expressed some milk and saw it
was discolored. Started treating for mastitis. We chose to try to
keep the puppies nursing on their dam. This meant I kept her
separate from the puppies. Every 2 1/2 hours I hot packed
all her mammaries, then expressed milk until those with discolored
milk were about empty, supervised as she nursed the puppies, made
sure she cleaned and stimulated them, then separated her again.

This was round the clock, of course.

She was also on Cephalexin. Things improved after three days.
Two teats were still affected but not producing much milk. I let
her back in with the puppies. Next evening when I went to check
on her, she was lying in a corner looking miserable, with one
mammary distended and obviously painful.

I hot-packed it and expressed it to relieve some pressure. The
stuff that came out was varying sorts of nasty.

I'll just comment that I doubt most bitches would put up with the
expressing of milk the way mine did. She's got an unusual
combination of great temperament and lots of training.

Then I took her to the emergency clinic. Because she obviously
felt miserable, she didn't keep herself super clean as she always
does. All of us noticed her unusual amount of vaginal discharge
for this stage postpartum. The color was good, but there was
more than normal. Her temperature was only slightly elevated,
but her white count was really low.They suspected pyometra.
Anybody thinking of breeding needs to research pyometra
(and mastitis) before they start.

They got her on IV fluids, heavy-duty antibiotics (Baytril/ampicillin),
and anti-inflammatories, and observed her. They gave (sold) me some
milk replacer and a bottle and I went home to feed the two
remaining puppies, who had been, apparently, many hours without
eating, and care for the other dogs. I did not really expect that I'd
be picking her up (didn't think she'd survive, to spell it out).

I got to bed at 5. It wasn't as though I really had any sense of what
time it was after the all-nighters and near-all-nighters I'd been
putting in. At 5:30 the phone rang. My bitch's gums had started
to turn red, confirming a major infection somewhere. They were
going to go ahead and do an emergency spay. This is, of course,
much more serious surgery than a routine spay. The uterus is
big and extended postpartum, plus there is infection and the whole
system is challenged. They also did a partial mastectomy, removing
two glands. She had lots and lots of milk, making it difficult.

They close at 8 a.m. so I had to pick my bitch up and transfer her
to my own vet for hospitalization. She was so sedated I couldn't
tell how she was. I went to see her at 3:30 and she still looked as
miserable as she had the previous evening. At 5:30 I took her back
to the all-night clinic. She still didn't look very good, and I was
worried because the initial prediction was that I could take her
home that morning--so this was her second round of hospitalization
that wasn't predicted.

She was on her feet, barely, and when the tech took hold of her
slip lead, she resisted. This is not usual for her; I think it was
a measure of how insecure she felt. They let me walk her back
to her little enclosure.

I went home and fed the puppies and dogs, then called at
10 p.m. They said she was better and was hanging out with
them in the office. She ate several times overnight and was
onto oral meds by morning. They seemed to love her (she is
special).

Bottle feeding puppies, for those who haven't tried it, is no
piece of cake. At first they avoid getting the nipple in their
mouths, then they can't make it work, and you have to cut
and re-cut the opening hoping to get it right so they can get
some and not aspirate it into their lungs getting pneumonia.
Then you have to stimulate the puppies to pee and poop (and
in the case of these puppies, the stools are loose and stinky).
Even when they start getting it, they make wet-sounding
snuffly noises so you have to always worry they are aspirating.

Picked her up yesterday morning, and as I wrote before, she
looked and acted as though she felt OK, although subdued, and
it was wonderful. Today she is on leash walks only--feels good
enough that she can't be trusted not to run, jump, and go in the
ponds.

If it wasn't for the new all-night emergency clinic with surgical
capability that opened here a few months ago, she wouldn't
have made it. They were *great*.

My bitch won't be finishing her championship, as spayed bitches
are not eligible. The guy who has the puppy from her previous
litter that is running the Open All-Age stake in field trials and
won Best of Winners at the National Specialty won't be getting
another of her puppies. (We're planning to keep both of them.)
Breaks of the game. She looks like she is going to be OK and
I hope to have several good years with her. That's what counts.

Amy Dahl



  #2  
Old July 14th 06, 02:23 PM posted to rec.pets.dogs.breeds
Lucky Whip Flip
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10
Default nightmare whelping (was The Dog Whisperer)

Amy Dahl wrote:

crosspost to r.p.d.breeds added

Handsome Jack Morrison wrote:


On Wed, 12 Jul 2006 12:48:06 -0400, Handsome Jack Morrison
wrote:


PS: For those of you thinking about getting into breeding, say, just
for the heck of it, etc., think back to these posts about Amy's and
Diddy's ordeals.



I've been wanting to reply to this, but am so busy with patient care
and bottle feeding puppies and the need to try to catch up on other
work and the piled up phone calls, it's difficult. Will try to
summarize.


(snip for brevity)

Wow - Amy. That is indeed a nightmare! While my bitches have never
been in grave danger (had some scary moments), I can relate. I've had
to bottle feed too. Had a litter of 12 and mom got some kind of mammary
infection (not mastitis) and lost milk production in the back teats (the
heavy producers). Had to supplement the little tykes - so, I can
certainly relate to the time needed, trying to get just the correct flow
from the nipple and of course, the worry of a puppy aspirating.

I did have a puppy who aspirating on milk and she developed pneumonia
and subsequently died.

I feel for you and sure hope these two pups that you are keeping will
carry on the bloodline for you.

Hope you get some sleep soon,
Flip

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
rec.pets.dogs: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ Liza Lee Miller Dog info 0 May 21st 06 05:23 AM
rec.pets.dogs: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ Liza Lee Miller Dog info 0 April 20th 06 05:34 AM
rec.pets.dogs: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ Liza Lee Miller Dog info 0 March 20th 06 06:33 AM
rec.pets.dogs: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ Liza Lee Miller Dog info 0 February 18th 06 06:26 AM
rec.pets.dogs: Breeding, Whelping, and Rearing Puppies FAQ Liza Lee Miller Dog info 0 January 18th 06 06:48 AM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.2.0 (Unauthorized Upgrade)
Copyright ©2004-2024 DogBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.