tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2009-11-14:/MokoFeed2009-11-14T20:52:32+01:00tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/an_observation~3039461/DogBreeder2007-09-25T21:13:09+02:002007-09-25T21:13:09+02:00 <p>It is only now that we realise that the puppies were different from other litters we have bred. They were far bigger and chunkier than other puppies of the same age. Also, they were extremely quiet. They would try and play fight but with none of the usual accompanying sounds.</p> <p>Whether or not this is just coincidence we don't know. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/an_observation~3039461/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/the_cost_of_it_all~3039444/DogBreeder2007-09-25T21:10:04+02:002007-09-25T21:10:04+02:00 <p>The monetary cost of all this is astronomical and it is going to cause us massive problems.</p> <p>Far FAR worse is the emotional cost. Not only have we got our own worries and grief to cope with, we are also having to deal with all the families who want to know how their puppies are getting on. There have been an awful lot of tears cried in this house over the last ten days. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/the_cost_of_it_all~3039444/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/a_change_in_treatment~3039420/DogBreeder2007-09-25T21:06:49+02:002007-09-25T21:06:49+02:00 <p>We believe that the oxygen tent and antibiotics is only delaying the inevitable and so we suggest to the vet that perhaps the pups should be put to sleep before they get to the suffering stage. The vet is still hopeful that the post mortem could help and wants to keep the pups going.</p> <p>We ask if there is anything else the vets could try but they claim not. We point out that in humans, if there are any problems with breathing then steroids are nearly always used. The vet tells us that it would be impossible to use steroids in such young puppies.</p> <p>This afternoon we received a call from the vet asking for permission to experiment with a drug. It is a drug that isn't licensed for dogs but has had success in cats showing the same symptoms. We give our permission and just hope that it has some positive effect.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/a_change_in_treatment~3039420/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/next_puppy_dies~3039379/DogBreeder2007-09-25T21:00:13+02:002007-09-25T21:00:13+02:00 <p>By now, we only have Little Man at home. He is still being bottle fed but we have now started to wean him too.</p> <p>Monday evening, we get news that the pup we took in first on sunday has died.</p> <p>They were hoping that the post mortem results would be back but they are not. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/next_puppy_dies~3039379/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/another_puppy_and_then_another~3039369/DogBreeder2007-09-25T20:57:59+02:002007-09-25T20:57:59+02:00 <p>On the sunday morning we find another puppy gasping for breath and take this one over to Basildon. Cruelly, when we return we have barely been in the house for half an hour when we discover that another puppy is showing the same symptoms. We phone the vets and before we can tell them, they tell us that the puppy we had taken in on Friday night has gone downhill and they ask for our permission to put him to sleep.</p> <p>We then get into a minor disagreement about the last 'healthy' puppy. We know that we have to take the affected puppy back to Basildon and so we ask if the last puppy can come too as we feel it is only a matter of time before she too struggles to breathe. The VRCC is adamant that this puppy should stay at home. After a lot of pleading, they finally agree to take her which is just as well as by the time we arrive at the VRCC this last pup is also having breathing difficulties. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/another_puppy_and_then_another~3039369/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/post_mortem~3039343/DogBreeder2007-09-25T20:52:39+02:002007-09-25T20:52:39+02:00 <p>We hear that the initial post mortem results are back. They are, in effect, useless to us. The body of the dead puppy had been sent up to Glasgow University - specialists in the canine herpes virus. The gross pathology tells us that the pups died of fluid in their lungs. We still have to wait for the result of the further post mortem in which they have grown cultures. The theory is that once we know what is wrong, the vets can treat it. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/post_mortem~3039343/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/back_to_the_vrcc~3039326/DogBreeder2007-09-25T20:49:51+02:002007-09-25T20:49:51+02:00 <p>At 11pm on the same day that we brought Little Man home, we are getting ready to go to bed when we notice that one of the supposedly 'healthy' puppies is struggling to breathe. We phone the VRCC and they tell us to bring him in. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/back_to_the_vrcc~3039326/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/little_man_comes_home~3038481/DogBreeder2007-09-25T18:17:15+02:002007-09-25T18:17:15+02:00 <p>Following daily updates, finally we received the call that our little man could come home. We went to collect him on the friday morning at 11am. He came with a supply of antibiotics and we were told that we were not to put him back with his littermates. They thought that as he was still a bit snotty that he could potentially be carrying whatever illness the other pups had died of.</p> <p>We put him in his own crate on a heat pad and plenty of teddy bears as we felt that he needed something to cuddle up to.</p> <p>We began the task of bottle feeding him every 2 - 3 hours.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/little_man_comes_home~3038481/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/home_again~3038449/DogBreeder2007-09-25T18:13:32+02:002007-09-25T18:13:32+02:00 <p>On the tuesday morning we were asked to go and collect the mother and the four "healthy" pups. None of these pups had ever shown any signs of breathing difficulties and they felt that it would be better for mum and the litter to be home.</p> <p>The little man was kept at the hospital as he was still snuffly. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/home_again~3038449/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/permission_to_put_a_puppy_to_sleep~3038258/DogBreeder2007-09-25T17:39:01+02:002007-09-25T17:39:01+02:00 <p>We were telephoned in the early hours of Monday morning and asked for permission to put the pup with breathing difficulties to sleep. She had gone downhill dramatically and they felt she was suffering. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/permission_to_put_a_puppy_to_sleep~3038258/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/vrcc_consultant~3038245/DogBreeder2007-09-25T17:37:10+02:002007-09-25T17:37:10+02:00 <p>Once the pups and the mother had been examined the consultant came to talk to us. We were told that they were concerned about the puppy with breathing difficulties and also our "Little Man". While little man didn't have breathing problems as such, he was rather snuffly. The other four puppies were considered healthy at this stage.</p> <p>We had to fill in paperwork and before leaving we asked to be contacted at any time of the day or night should circumstances change. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/vrcc_consultant~3038245/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/vrcc~3038225/DogBreeder2007-09-25T17:33:48+02:002007-09-25T17:33:48+02:00 <p>Before we went to the VRCC we went home to dig up the body of the puppy that had died in case they wanted to post mortem her. Having done that, we drove straight to Basildon.</p> <p>By the time we got to the VRCC, the second puppy had died.</p> <p>A vet took the dead puppy from us and then took the mother and the remaining six puppies. The puppies were placed in an oxygen tent and immediately started on antibiotics.</p> <p>This was a sunday.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/vrcc~3038225/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/referral_to_the_vrcc~3038205/DogBreeder2007-09-25T17:28:32+02:002007-09-25T17:28:32+02:00 <p>Having found the dead puppy, we examined the rest of the litter to make sure that they were ok and were horrified to discover that two more were having problems with their breathing. We phoned our vet and met him at the surgery within half an hour with the bitch and seven puppies. Our vet examined the two poorly puppies and then x-rayed them plus a healthy puppy. It was easy to see that the pup who was having the most trouble breathing had lungs full of fluid. The second puppy also had fluid in his lungs but not to the extent of the first pup. A healthy puppy had good clear lungs.<br> Our vet told us that he needed to refer them to a Veterinary Hospital where they could receive specialist care. We were referred to the Veterinary Referrals Cancer & Critical Care Centre in Basildon, Essex. Their website can be seen here....</p> <p><a href="http://www.vrcc.co.uk/">http://www.vrcc.co.uk/</a> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/referral_to_the_vrcc~3038205/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/first_puppy_ill~3037780/DogBreeder2007-09-25T16:12:05+02:002007-09-25T16:12:05+02:00 <p>When the pups were 2 and a half weeks old, my husband returned from work at 3am and discovered that one of the pups had breathing difficulties. The puppy appeared almost flat in appearance and was gasping. Her gums and tongue were very pale.</p> <p>We phoned the vet and he said that he thought that the puppy had suffered a crush injury. We thought that maybe the mother had trampled on the pup (there had been fireworks that evening outside) or had laid on it even though we had pig rails. The vet said there was nothing he could do and that we should keep the puppy warm and hope that the breathing regulated.</p> <p>This puppy was dead by 6am the next morning. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/first_puppy_ill~3037780/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/worming_aamp_nails~3037426/DogBreeder2007-09-25T15:05:47+02:002007-09-25T15:05:47+02:00 <p>At two weeks old, I wormed the whole litter with Drontal wormer and cut all their toe nails. Most of them had their eyes open at this stage. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/worming_aamp_nails~3037426/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/little_man_s_tongue~3037418/DogBreeder2007-09-25T15:03:38+02:002007-09-25T15:03:38+02:00 <p>It was when I started bottle feeding the little pup that I noticed that his suction almost seemed too strong. His tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth and I needed to prize it down to get the teat of the catac feeder into his mouth in order for him to feed properly. I took him to the vet when he was 7 days old to get him checked over.</p> <p>Our vet had a good look in his mouth, listened to his heart and declared that the pup was ok but he was a poor "do-er". His tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth because his mouth was dry through not feeding regularly. His suck reflex was good and strong and the vet considered him worth trying to save. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/little_man_s_tongue~3037418/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/little_man~3037395/DogBreeder2007-09-25T14:59:47+02:002007-09-25T14:59:47+02:00 <p>Five days after the birth, we noticed that one of the puppies was not gaining weight. I weighed him and he was 5oz. I checked for a cleft palate and all seemed in order so I took the decision to bottle feed him. I fed him every four hours and two hourly in between the bottle feeds, I "plugged" him onto his mother so that he had her milk too.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/little_man~3037395/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/the_birth~3037377/DogBreeder2007-09-25T14:57:18+02:002007-09-25T14:57:18+02:00 <p>Our bitch started whelping five days early. She was massively pregnant and we were not surprised that the litter was putting in an early appearance. She gave birth to eight puppies and the whelping took five hours from start to finish. The pups were all good weights - the smallest was 6oz and the largest was 8 oz. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/the_birth~3037377/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tag:dogbreeder.blog.co.uk,2007-09-25:/2007/09/25/litter~3037359/DogBreeder2007-09-25T14:53:36+02:002007-09-25T14:53:36+02:00 <p>My husband and I have been breeding dogs for 12 years. We aren't commercial breeders by any means. The most we have ever bred is 2 litters in one year and our pups are born and raised indoors with an extremely noisy family.</p> <p>Up until recently, all our experiences of breeding have been positive. The only "downsides" have come from people and not the dogs.</p> <p>I thought it might be an idea to write down recent events in a public blog so that other people can read it. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://DogBreeder.blog.co.uk/2007/09/25/litter~3037359/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>