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failing baby
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All breeders face the possibility of a failing puppy. Some breeders choose to let nature take its course. There was a time when I was in the hospital for three days. Leaving a brand new litter at home. My dear, dear husband is a cattle rancher. I told him it was super important to weigh pups twice a day for the time I was gone. Sadly he did't do it. That baby needed to be supplemented as mom really didnt have any milk. So baby was starving. When I got home....one look and I knew my baby was dying. I held the baby all night util she died. Dying of starvation is terrible. I kept her warm and tried tube feeding her. But, it was too late. Hubby and I had a serious conversation the next day. He thought that 2.5 oz baby could wait until I got home. They can't. I supplement as soon as I can tell they are not getting milk from mom. In most cases it will come in. Just give babies a chance.
I have also found that they do much better if I mix their formula with goats milk. It is easily digested.
But in some cases you have to come to grips with something might be wrong with this puppy that can't be seen. Are the larger pups pushing this baby off the teats? There are multifple issues that can happen. I keep babies in the family room where I can check them easily many times a day. There could be a birth defect that you just cant see. Never fear to call your vet for suggestion.
Diarrhea in puppies
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comments (1150)
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I have been away for a while and wanted to get back to my blog. I was greatly surprised when four of my five litters had 3 or more puppies. Wow did that increase the population. Ha-ha The babies are now 1 to 7 weeks old and you named it the dreaded diarrhea has appeared. We disinfect the flooring, bedding & toys daily. But, now and again.....someone decides to get diarrhea. After many a round with Diarrhea I thought I could share what I have learned.
First and foremost Don't panic! I worm my babies with Nemex 2 every two week from birth until they go home. Mom's get wormed with Panacur along with the babies worming schedule. Now what do you do? They are wormed and still we have the runs. Often it is as simple as too much bacteria in their intestinal tract. A round of Metronidazole (as Benzoate) will solve the issue quickly. ThIS is veterinarian prescribed. Other medications to try Albon, Panacur for worm infestation. If you know it isn't any of the above issues. You little one is just not eating well and has the runs. Try either brown rice and chicken boiled together in chicken broth if you have it. Or baked potato and cottage cheese. Both of these are gentle on the tummy and often work to settle down an upset stomach. My vet says as a last resort try Gerber (because they don't add any onion or garlic) meats. If they will not eat that. It is serious and your little love needs to be seen by your veterinarian right away. The younger or smaller your dog the less stress their body can handle. So remember for an adult one day will not kill them to skip a meal or two. a one pound puppy can die very quickly from hypoglycemia. Low Blood sugar. So one missed meal could be very dangerous for them. I'll talk about Hypoglycemia in another blog.
Back to diarrhea. Notice the color, is there mucus, is there red blood or is it black. Red means it is coming from an area close the anus. Black is much more serious, This color means the bleeding is higher up in the intestinal tract. And is normally much more serious. If there is color in the stool.... Example: I had a girl have a stool that was solid green. Ahhhh my mind goes to worst case issues. Upon a closer inspection....sigh.....it was all grass. and the next stool was normal. There are lots of theories as to why dogs eat grass. I don't think anyone really knows. Long and short, she was fine. But, it is very important to notice all the details. Take a sample into your vet, It helps a great deal for them to see the issue and they can look for parasites, bacteria or blood. It helps them a great deal and will most likely send you home to get a fresh sample and come back with it. Save yourself an extra trip.
Diarrhea can in most cases be cleaned up quickly. Sanitation is the key. Wash everything with bleach. Unless you are dealing with babies. Babies can not handle bleach on the floor it affects their internal organs. So find something like Chlorhexidine Solution. Safe for babies and a good sterilant. Sanitize everything that your dog/puppies touch, lick or drink out of. Fresh water always. Babies poop everywhere, even in their water bowl so be observant. My rule number one is. IF IN DOUBT CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN.
Resusitation of a puppy who fails to breath
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comments (160)
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What to do if your puppy fails to breath at birth.
If you have a puppy inhale mucus and fluid, which filled his lungs and he can't breath. Don't give up! As long as the heart is beating you have a real chance of saving your baby.
The first thing to do is to wipe the puppies nose and mouth. Sometimes if it isn't bad this will fix the problem. If not...Put the puppy in your hand Head down and firmly pat him/her on the back. This is not a time for gentle pats. Wipe his mouth and nose again as fluid runs out. Rub the baby vigorously to encourage baby to gasp. If he isn't gasping...Use your fingernail and open puppies mouth. This often will cause them to inhale. Keep rubbing vigorously and use a bulb syringe to pull fluid out of the nose. Do not hesitate to put the bulb all the way back in the babies mouth. You are trying to clear the air way. In my case I got fluid every time I did this. The minutes are ticking by and baby is still not breathing on his own. Stand up! Once again put the babies head between two fingers which are curled around babies shoulder and neck. DON'T CHOKE THE BABY Get a firm grasp on the babies body with your other hand. You now have baby sandwiched between your two hands. HOLD ONTO BABY FIRMLY. You can throw the baby if you are not holding him tightly between your hands. Which of course, will most likely will kill him or her. Now raise both arms to about eye level and swing the baby in a downward arch. Centrifugal force is your friend. Swing your arms back up the eye level. Do this a few times. In my case when I swung the baby down. His internal Organs pressed on his lunges and heart. causing the fluid to fly across the room. When you swing back up it takes the pressure off of the heart and lungs. Now check to see if baby will breath on his own. In my case he wasn't. So I began rubbing him with real vigor. I like to put the baby in a wash cloth. It make it so much easier to hold onto them. They are wet and slippery and very limp.. Resuscitation takes time Keep rubbing, keep opening his mouth, keep draining his lungs. You will conquer the problem. In my case it took 25 minutes before baby even attempted to breath on his own. But, I was getting a gasp now and again because I wasn't being gentle. I was very firmly resuscitating him. I swung him several times and finally all the fluid drained from his lungs. It still took time. His heart was still beating, so keep trying. I let mom lick him every now and again and then rub, rub, rub. My vet told me that they will start breathing better if you hold them in the position of tummy down, head down and keep stimulating them to breath. Finally the puppy began to gasp on his own. It still took an hour for him to fully get the hang of breathing on his own. Once I could put him with his mom I watched him closely to make sure he kept breathing. If there was a pause. I began rubbing him vigorously again. This is an extreme case of resuscitation. If this should happen. Watch baby very closely for a couple of weeks. If he starts sleeping in a corner or on mom to keep his head elevated. He is having a hard time breathing. On this incline it is easier to breath. Take him to the vet now. Don't wait as he may be developing pneumonia from the fluid that was in his lungs.
this little boy is gaining weigh rapidly and doing so very well. I don't think he will get sick, But I still watch him daily for signs that he is failing. Weigh them daily so you know if all is well.
I hope this helps you if you ever find yourself in a position to resusitate a baby that isn't beathing.
Dogs feel Loss and sorrow
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My sweet little Girl Dazzle lost her first litter. The first little boy was too large for her pelvis. Side note at the time we did not have an emergency clinic or a vet that worked after hours. (this was several years ago) The nearest emergency vet was nearly three hours away. And I knew that she wasn't going to last three hours. So a person does what they must. I finally was able to get ahold of the puppy and managed to pull it myself. This poor little boy had already passed away. It just took too long to deliver him. And Dazzle was determined to help him breath. Now comes baby two a still born pup again. Only not as large. I tried for 20 minutes to get him to breath to no avail. When his heart stopped I knew it was over. Now comes a tiny little girl. Who did breath and Dazzle was besides herself with joy. No dog ever loved a baby like Dazzle loved that little girl. But, sadly on day three she lost her little girl. We tried everything. Tube feedings. bottle, extra heat....Nothing helped. When this sweet little soul passed away Dazzle came and got us. So upset and wanting us to come help her little girl. I cleaned everything up and took care of the little girl. Two days passed and Dazzle was clearly depressed. I felt so badly for her but there was nothing I could do except hold her and love her. Well on day three one of the young dogs was playing with a squeaky toy. Dazzle's ears went straight up along with her tail. And she ran into the front of the house to find her baby. In a short time she is walking slowly down the hall with her tail down and large tears running down her face. Her heart was broken. I picked her up and began rocking her and we both proceeded to shed many tears. From that day forward Dazzle and I have been bonded and love each other dearly. She slept on my slippers or in my purse for months after losing her babies.
Yes she did go on to have other puppies who survived and thrived. But that moment of holding her and rocking her through her sorrow and mine for her. Taught me that while she is a dog. She has deep feeling of love and sorrow. Dazzle is retired now and still my baby. She sleeps with me every night and she will lay her head on my chest and look at me with such love. She went on to become every puppies Auntie, she loves them all and cares for them when moms go out to go potty. Never trying to take a puppy. As soon as mom comes back she hopes out of the basket and gives the babies back to their mother.
But while mom is gone. She licked them, cleans them and keeps them warm and safe.
I wish more people could learn and become more like my loving Dazzle.
Waiting for a litter
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I am new to blogging so here goes and I hope it is interesting to you.
Liberty is pregnant with her first litter. Very stressful for both of us. She doesn't understand what is happening and I worry about her. Will she be able to whelp these puppies easily. Have the puppies gotten too large? Will she except them, is she going to be a good mommy? All of the usual questions that a good breeder will have. I have gone through my check list. All supplies are ready for the birth. She will start sleeping in my bedroom so I can hear her and she can get used to her whelping box. She is the sweetest girl and I have such high hopes for this litter. Her kennel to raise the puppies is ready. She isn't due until the 30th of July but, I like to bring them in the house; from the kennel, much earlier. She was checked by my veterinarian and she is healthy (yay!) Babies are growing so fast now. I am hoping for four little ones. As she is huge and still 10 days to go. Her tummy is shaved so that the babies can find her nipples easier. And I am now watching for her milk to come in. A little early yet but it will come.....hopefully. If it doesn't I will have to supplement the babies until her milk comes in. We rarely lose a puppy, but when it happens it breaks my heart and the heart of the mommy. Dogs feel loss and pain just as we do. I have seen them many times cry over a sick baby. Yes they will reject the sick puppy sometimes. But, in my experience they often come to me looking for help. Which I gladly give. A struggling puppy we weigh in grams. Watching for that gain of weight that can signal a happy outcome. Today Liberty is sleeping and enjoying her bed. No more jumping and being a goofball. She is getting too heavy to jump. Ha-ha
Update will come as she reaches her due date. Wishing her good luck and an easy delivery.
