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View Full Version : Eegads...she was supposedly "sick" and now we have a litter


Lynn
06-13-2006, 06:56 AM
So here's my continuation on my dog being "sick"...and being in this forum I'm sure you can all guess WHAT it was now. So here's the story...

We were just going to wait until we took her in, in the morning for the spay and talk to the vet about it then...well, the night wore on and she started whining and howling, then she became even more restless than before...go into her crate, come back out and whine at me, go back to the crate, come back and whine at me...then it got to the point where she was whining the entire time. That's when AJ finally was like "just take her to the er" so I got her in the car and took her down and when they asked I was like "I really don't know" and told them her symptoms. Got her back into the exam room and she just was acting up even more, couldn't sit still, couldn't even sit straight. The tech came in and took her heartrate and noticed her nipples were very large and asked if she had puppies recently...and I could only tell her that they'd been like that since we got her 3 weeks ago but we never bred her and had no intention of it either (hence getting her spayed tomorrow (err...today)) She forgot she needed to weigh her so we had to go out to the scale, and when I had to pick her up to get her to come w/ me, I felt a wet spot on her hind leg, and thought she had just drooled and then laid in it. Got out to the scale and noticed little dropplets on the floor and the tech asked if she was leaking fluids...then all of a sudden FLOOD GATES OPENED and her water broke...ALL over the floor. We rushed her back to the exam room, got towels and potty pads and she went into labor a few min. later. (I called AJ freaking out telling him to get down there b/c she was in labor and...let me just say...he was less than thrilled about her being preggo).

Of course, I was stressed out because I've never even seen puppies delivered, let alone have to do it myself. She had 4 w/in about 3 hrs time and stopped from there. They said w/ her breed she could take as long as 4 hrs between puppies...so I sat there until almost 4 until they finally said it would be in her best interest to just take her home and let her feed these guys and have a stress free birth of the rest. She still has a HUGE bulge in her tummy but these puppies are higher in the birth canal so they're going to take a while. (So looks like i'm not going to bed any time soon...)

All said and done though, the er was very generous and we only paid $45 for the tech exam. They didn't charge me for the 7 hrs we were using their exam room or anything else for that matter. And they helped me out a LOT.

So here's where the situation gets sticky...in the morning I'm going to call the pound, and try to be as civil as possible w/ them, but I am p***ed off w/ them to say the least. I didn't think anything of it when I adopted her b/c she was only 8 months...but she was in the same kennel w/ another female and 2 unneutered adult males...*scowls* I didn't realize she could get pregnant as early as 6 mo...thus never crossed my mind. Two, before I took her, w/ the acception of needing her rabies and spay done, they said she was healthy, up to date on all shots and wasn't pregnant (yet they never did a test to confirm that anyhow). So of course, again, I never thought twice about it. On their part though, it was complete neglegance, and irresponsibility to put an unspayed female w/ unneutered males. I KNOW she got pregnant at the pound b/c gestation is approx 52 days from conception and I have paperwork stating that her first checkup at the pound was 4/18 but she was there for weeks before that first checkup...

More frustrating was she was supposed to get spayed tomorrow. Cruel irony. So now we have to wait on that. Needless to say, I'm calling the pound tomorrow and telling them they need to incur, half if not all of the costs of this because of their irresponsiblity w/ this puppy and the fact that they sold her to us telling us she wasn't pregnant...I'm frustrated enough to the point where I'd consider getting a lawyer to push the matter too...b/c anyone that's had puppies knows how expensive they can get between food, shots, supplies and time.

While I'm really proud to be a "grandma" of sorts, I just hope we can find these puppies the best of homes when they are ready to be adopted out.
/end rant

pictures will probably be up in the next couple days....they are just darling

lassie
06-13-2006, 08:59 AM
OMG :eek: :eek: p.s. gestation is usually 63 days. hope this helps.

yes having a litter is not cheap;)

well i wish you luck,

MrsRottie
06-13-2006, 09:26 AM
Oh lordy NOOOOOOOO You poor thing! What a freakin nightmare!!
Go for it with the rescue - that really was exrtemely naughty of them.

I'll have one :D

Lynn
06-13-2006, 10:53 AM
lol, I knew 63...the 5&2 are just one to the side and it was 5am lol...I FINALLY got about 2 hrs sleep in.

you're welcome to one if you want to pay the shipping fee from the states to the UK :p lol that'd be a killer in itself.


So now I have questions (this is the first litter of pups I've ever dealt w/ in my life)...I know she'll need to get up and away from the pups every so often...but should I coax her to get up and away for a bit? Or just let her when she feels it's necessary? b/c she's obviously going to have to go outside. Also, I am going to have to take her to the vet in a couple hrs because she still hasn't given birth to the other puppies that I KNOW are in her and it's been several hours now...so what is the best way to go about getting her there? (ie. moving the puppies and her...)

skunkstripe
06-13-2006, 10:57 AM
Holy moly!! What a heck of a surprise!!
I would have freaked out!!
It sounds like the people at the shelter didn't know what they were doing, to say the least!

dlambertz
06-13-2006, 11:23 AM
wow! that is a story ....

Lynn
06-13-2006, 01:59 PM
well, just got back from the day vet...thought mom was having more puppies b/c she kept whining. they took an xray of her and she is puppy free! Thank goodness. She only had 4 puppies....but...I found out, b/c I called the shelter to talk about paying for them..(which they refused...won't get into that story b/c I wanted to yell and scream at the lady who was rude about it) but they are ALL alaskan husky and the males she was kenneled w/ were from the same 70 huskies that were relenquished at the same time...ALL alaskan huskies...so we have true alaskan husky pups...not mutts. Just too bad they can't be registered b/c they aren't recognized as an official breed. :(

lassie
06-13-2006, 03:32 PM
oops. 70 huskies relenquished at the same time OMG. how is she now poor thing?

Lynn
06-13-2006, 06:48 PM
well, b/c she spent most of her life on a chain outside and then in a pound, she has very little human interaction and is VERY scared of people and is timid of most dogs. Before the pups though, she'd just shy away from people and dogs...but she's gotten very aggressively mean since having her pups. She will let AJ and I hold them and be near her...but if anyone else so much as peeks their head in the room she's in she gets all nasty and growls.

When the vet tech was helping me out to my car when leaving the er last night, I had Tikaani and she had the box of pups. I got Tikaani in the car and she went to put the box in the car and Tikaani lunged at her. It scared me to death to think she would hurt someone, so as of right now, no one but AJ and I are allowed to see her and her pups.

I'm so at a loss for what to do about her temperment around people....especially now because I can't take her to training classes while she has newborn pups. :( I had been taking her hiking and to dog parks and petsmart and petco just to be around dogs and other people...but she really made little progress in the realm of socialization w/ others. She's the most darling dog to AJ and I but I wished I knew what to do for other people and dogs. And it's going to be even more difficult w/ babies to get her to trust anyone else.

skunkstripe
06-13-2006, 07:58 PM
Lynusann, I am NOT a trainer or a professional, but I have hung out on dog boards, have friends with 'problem dogs' and read a lot. I also have a doggy who was "momma" in a breeding kennel.
You are in for a long uphill road. Your doggy had a BAD experience with humans, but now she is convinced that every other human she meets is bad and probably wants to hurt you.
If you have some dog savvy friends, try explaining the situation to them and inviting them to your home. When they get to your front door, make sure you let them in and that you hug them in front of your dog. That way Tikaani might understand that they are part of your extended "pack". You have several years to go before she is 'normal'. We had problems with Sophia (not anywhere near what you have) and it took well over a year before she was more or less 'normal'.
Good luck and as they say, DOG bless you.

Lynn
06-13-2006, 10:34 PM
thank you skunkstripe for the advice. I hope she'll calm down once her puppies are more grown and start to wander from her more. It wasn't near as bad when she was timid, b/c I could at least control her and let people get near her. We would give people a treat and let them give it to her and she would calm down for a bit then....but obviously that's not something that can be done at this partic. moment...b/c I won't risk her biting someone.

I will try your advice. If anyone else has any suggestions, please feel free to jump in. I'll take all the advice I can get.

EnchantedGypsy
06-14-2006, 01:04 AM
Wow! What an experience you've been through. It's not unusual for a mother dog to be aggressive. The hard thing is, both of you need to handle (imprinting) those puppies so they aren't afraid of people like the mom. YIKES, as much as I love puppies I don't envy you:eek:

Will she leave her pups to eat? Maybe try feeding her away (another room/outside) from the pups, and while she's eating go in and handle the pups.

Lynn
06-14-2006, 01:31 AM
oh she lets AJ and I handle the pups. She just won't let anyone else get anywhere close to her and her puppies. I got in every 30min-1hr and pick them up and hold them, let them nuzzle me then give them back to mom.

My other concern is her not eating. I know she needs to eat with having these pups feeding constantly, but she's rather lay in the tub, stretch out on the comforter and blankets in there and just sleep all day. She inhaled 2 cans of wet food that AJ gave her tonight, but she wont touch the dry food. And the ER vets told me that dry food has more nutrients than the wet food so I need to make sure she's eating that too. Is that true??? B/c it's a heck of a time to get her to eat dry but she won't ever turn down wet food. I just want her to have the necessary nutrients for the pups so they grow healthy

lassie
06-14-2006, 04:34 AM
Hi yer , with regards to her attitude towards the pups this can be normal in some whelped bitches. I had one some years ago who had a wonderful temp until it came to her whelping a litter. I can remember her lunging out at my nephew and ripping his shirt sleeve, this was totally out of character as they knew each other well. She became very possessive of them. After a month she setttled down more..
As regards feeding , you are better off putting her food in the whelping box for a few days. Because she has become possessive of the pups , she will , for the first few days only want to go outside quickly to relieve herself.

Goats milk is brilliant for bitches after they have whelped if you cant get hold of it. Good Luck keep us posted.

Lynn
06-14-2006, 04:41 AM
I really hope she does settle down in the near future. For now though, we're just sticking w/ the rule that no one but AJ and I get close to her or the pups. I *think* she would probably be fine around people if she were outside and away from her pups, like when we take her out to go to the bathroom, but I'm not willing to risk that just yet either.

Though, I remember talking to the ER vet about this last night. We discussed her timidity from the time I got her and she said that it's possible that, especially w/ being so young, the hormones from being pregnant have really affected her, and once she has the pups weened she might go back to being a loving, friendly dog to everyone (not a guarantee, but a possibility)

lassie
06-14-2006, 04:45 AM
Yes you are right , dont tempt fate, just let you 2 near her for a least a few weeks, her hormones will be shot away. bless her. are you thinking of keeping one of the pups?

Lynn
06-14-2006, 04:52 AM
AJ would beat me senseless if I tried to keep any of them lol (not really...but I might end up out on the street w/ ALL of my pets if I keep pushing it lol)

Actually, the first pup that was born, the light colored girl...I'm trying to convince my parents to take her. I'd have to drive back up to Idaho for that, but I know she'd have a great home there. My mother is DEAD SET AGAINST another dog though. (but if she played w/ the pup I KNOW she'd fall for it...especially if I give her sob story)

lassie
06-14-2006, 04:59 AM
Just wait till she sees them , she wont say NO:rolleyes:

Lynn
06-14-2006, 05:02 AM
did you see the posted pics yet?

lassie
06-14-2006, 05:06 AM
Yes they are so cut, can all see the protruding nipples now

Lynn
06-14-2006, 05:11 AM
I'm going to be totally honest...(i'm sure my nievity will REALLY show now), I've ALWAYS had male dogs when I was growing up. Never females. Friends of mine and the family's had female dogs but I never saw any of them pregnant. So, I noticed her nipples about a week and a half after we got her, but I really didn't think twice about it. My thought was, she's female, she's supposed to have them...I didn't know they werent supposed to protrude.

So basically, here I am thinking I know a decent amount about dogs, and I'm really a proud owner of her, and I do everything I can to give her the best home and trying to rehabilitate her from her past life....and I'm having moments now, w/ her puppies and the birth and all, where I'm feeling like a complete moron...b/c I know NOTHING about puppies or raising them.

lassie
06-14-2006, 05:14 AM
Hey you are doing a grand job , by the sounds of things. Fell free to ask me any questions on raising puppies.

BTW 2 months ago i paid £200 stud fee, and have no puppies. So i will adopt yours with regards to raising them;)

LuckyLincoln
06-18-2006, 07:33 PM
Hi Lynusan...

Wow, what an ordeal you have been through.... PUPPIES!!!! Whoa. Can't really help with that part of the situation.

I adopted my dog too. He was also neglected/abused as a pup, but did have one good home. He is VERY protective over me and my family. I make a point of coming in with my friends. If a friend of mine comes to the door that he hasn't met you, I usually go outside on the step for a minute or two and then walk in with them... that sends the message to Linkers, that this person is my friend and he has no problems with them.

Good luck with the puppies and the dog training!

Yellow Dog
06-22-2006, 05:44 PM
:eek: oh my god! what a story!