This is the first litter with which we learnt that breeding doesn’t always have happy endings. Breeding can also mean tears, worries and sleepless nights.
It all began with Paul (aka Dailuaine Great Balls of Fire). Most breeders know that puppies can have diarhea – nothing unusual when you start weaning puppies. In severe cases, it’s a bit of antibiotics and its over with. It’s happened that sometimes the antibiotic the vet gives you doesn’t work and needs to be changed. In this litter – we had the worst case which is when the vet gives the puppies an antibiotic that has been taken off the market!
Paul was very sickly and his condition was so serious in the early morning hours of Easter Saturday that he was rushed to the clinic for immediate emergency surgery. Knock on wood – none of the speed cameras on that motorway were activated. 55 kilometers in 20 minutes – including country roads! Figure the average speed. Back to Paul – 48 hours later he was back at home playing with his brothers and sisters. He hasn’t looked back since – his intestines are a bit shorter, but that doesn’t bother him at all.
At 8 weeks, we took the puppies for their first immunizations – all seemed well, Paul was still wearing a t-shirt, but he was healthy! It was when it was Ginger’s turn to be examined that the vet got a worried look on his face: she has arythmia! Her next appointment was with the cardiologist. After the ECG, Sonogramm/Doppler, he had quite a grim look on his face! Obviously the wrongly treated infection had affected her heart. Medication is hard to dose for such a small puppy, but our new vet was determined to help her. Her owners-to-be didn’t want her anymore – so she stayed with us.
Ginger’s story also has a happy ending. After months of sleepless nights, medication and lots of tlc, we found a new home for her. A family that knew of her condition and still wanted to have her!
At 11 months Ginger was examined again – by our vet, the cardiologist. He smiled and said – ok, let’s slowly take her off the medication and see what happens. What happened was that Ginger is a completely healthy, active dog, still kicking after all these years (2018) ! You’d never know how sick she once was – all because of the wrong antibiotic!
Before I forget: Here, the breedwarden’s report:
„A very promising litter, reared with a lot of love and know-how.“
A bit short this time, but as right as ever.
