emergency vet visit
 

well we had to go to the emerg. vet tonight, I was just not comfortable with how hot my mamas teets were, and the puppies tummies were turning red after nursing...

They gave her a shot of antibiotics, and pills to take... they said that the meds will get to the pups also through her milk.. she doesn't have full blown mastitis, but this is what we are trying to prevent... they said she can still feed them, but to watch her teets closely and if there are changes in them to stop letting her nurse.

She isn't eating much yet, or drinking much, it is so warm in this house, good for the pups, but not for mama... actually it is almost too warm for the pups (gets up to 80) pray the ac man actually makes it tomorrow, I will keep the therm. at 78 though, but it won't be a muggy 78.

I started this venture to become a breeder, to better her lines, and hopefully have show potential pups... and I don't know if it is the recent loss of my dog, or the lack of sleep, or all of it together, but right now I am thinking of getting my girl fixed... I can not take seeing her not feeling well, it is breaking my heart, and the worry if something happens to the pups... don't get me wrong i really enjoy watching them, loving them ect... I am just emotional to the point of eating a lot of tums, I never even had tums in this house until I needed them for my girl.

Which by the way, she hates them (the tums), I have tried to conceal them, it isn't working... but I keep trying.

We have our regular visit tomorrow for tails, dews and to see how everyone is doing, I also have to cancel the ultrasound I had scheduled (at another clinic) since she went a week early. I don't know if they will do the tails or not with this situation now, but I am still going to a recheck on things, and to find out more about why the tummies are getting red. (down by their bottoms, where there is no hair)

whew, this was more than i planned on posting, thanks for reading and any advice or knowledge on this red tummy thing and begining of mastitis would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

edited to say this post really doesn't make sense- sorry I am exhausted.

So sorry to hear about your dilemna! You just listed every reason those of us that are weak of heart leave the breeding to the pros! I can't imagine what you are going through watching your little girl not feeling well! AND having to worry about the pups throughout the whole ordeal!!!

You are definitley braver than I! I will pray for you that everything goes well at the vet tomorrow. Please post and let us know how everyone is doing... including you and the tums! I hope you have a quiet night and get a breeze! :)

Good luck, minniemn, keep at it. You're doing great, it can be a very tough job. Regarding the Tums, have you tried smushing them and mixing them into water or making smaller pieces out of them?

luvmyyorkie- you know I was thinking on the way home from the emerg. clinic about puppy mills, knowing that these poor females and their pups are not cared for at all, the way they are treated, ect.. how can they do that? I don't care how much it costs, or how many hrs of no sleep for me, I will do what ever it takes to make sure these dogs (mama and pups) have the best care and chance at life. (not wanting to turn this into a puppy mill thread, just being emotional)

fast eddie- I have put them in small pieces, and hid them in cottage cheese, but I have not tried to put them in water, I will try that.. thank you for that advice.

well I am going to try and rest, everyone is settled, for now anyways.

thank you again.

You are making me emotional now too! I mean it... when I read what you wrote abt how you would do ANYTHING and its such a stark contrast to the torture that "breeding machines" are forced to endure...UGH! Tears, teaars, tears...It makes me sob to think of someone like you up for days on end worrying and caring and not risking the lives for anything... it really just reinforces the WHYs of promoting good breeding practices! I am so proud of you and am praying for you that things lighten up and cool off for you and your mommy and that you will get the chance to exhale tomorrow at the vet. Good luck and please try to get some rest!

I will pray for you and your little girl, for a speedy recovery and cool air! Good luck and take a rest!

minnie my female did that when she had her pup , her teets was so full and hard and hot. I took her to the vet and he put her on antibiotics and told me not to worry so much that she would be fine. i think it was 5 days the swelling was down and she finally stopped panting. I had the AC on for her and the pup had a heating pad. Now he is a mischevious bouncing boy at 6 weeks , getting into everything. Good luck on the new babes :)

Minniemn, I hope that everything will be fine after the vet visit. That's the scary part of breeding is when your female isn't feeling well, since she's your main love. But, breeders like you are uncommon. Your caring and loving, and that speaks a lot of your devotion to your girl. There should be more people that breed that care so much. But unfortunately there's a lot out there that don't. Have you tried yogurt with the crushed tums, my boys love yogurt off my fingers or spoon, their favorite is..anything! :) Keep us updated...

Well this am now one of her back teets is hard, they don't feel as hot as they were... she is outside the box more, laying right besides it when the babies are all sprawled out, she struggles with who to be with I think.

All the babies have gained weight since their early eve weights, so i am sure they are getting what they need.

But this hard teet has me concerned.. we have a vet visit very soon.

I give her her antibiotic in cottage cheese, I will use part of the cottage cheese for the med, and part for the tums.

She is still nesting?

I am just glad I have a visit today with her real vet.

You know this vet sent us a card with a nice hand written note after he put our other dog down- so I know he is caring.

Thank you for letting me know that this has happen to your girl breezeaway... at least I know the vet was on the right track last night.

I am going to get ready for the vet and see now what happens since one seems harder to me.

My poor girl, she tries so hard to be a good mama, I hope it gets better for her soon.

thanks again, will update after the vet this am.

I am very impressed with my vet, apparently the emergency clinic faxed him this am to let him know Jaz was at the emerg. clinic last night, and he just called me.

He said to keep letting her nurse, but that she has to come in because of the harder teet, and the emerg. visit last night, and he wants to check her out, and that the antibiotic they gave is good, but there are better ones.

I told him we have an apt for 11 today, so he doesn't have to just fit me in.

I am feeling better now after talking to him, knowing that he is there and cares so much makes the world of difference.

will let you know what he says.

You have an excellent vet , I am sure everythings will be okay .

It always makes it easier when you have a vet that really cares. It puts your mind at rest that they are doing all they can. Good luck today...

Just a quick update, everyone is doing well- tails are docked :( dew claws are taken care of... mom is doing well.

The puppies are not as happy today (lots of whining) but hopefully by tomorrow they will be feeling better.

The ac man finally came, no luck- have to get a new furnace cuz the blower is shot.

have a great night

Well that is great news!!! As long as mommy and puppies are healthy, then who cares about the AC! If they coulda fixed the AC and there would've been anything wrong with the litter or mommy, then all the cool air in the world wouldnt have made anyone feel better!!!! I am sooo glad to read your post! I was so sad for you last night!

newmom
 

Wonderful news...remember you can crush the tums in a bit of wet food..I mix it in some yoghart..Charlotte loves lemon yoghart...I put 1/2 crush tum in a few teaspoons...be careful not to give too much calcium like tums..no more the one per day my vet said.
Have you tired warm compresses on the hard teat? If you can express a bitof milk off a few times per days it can help...best wishes

Okay, I am wading in with my quarters worth. First,,,I would suggest you give your puppies BeneBac or acidophilus to offset the effects of antibiotics on the good bacterie in the pups' bowels. Antibiotics kill the beneficial bacteria in the bowel of all concerned. I use BeneBac but I also have used acidophilus from the health food sections of groc store or health food stores. I really worry when puppies are exposed to antibiotics and not cared for as well. I AM NOT SAYING YOU ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF YOUR BABIES!!! It is just that since they don't act sick we don't consider them.
Okay, as for calcium.. Buy crushed oyster shell calcium tabs, They are as big as horse pills.. I use the 500mgm ones. They are tasteless and I grate 1/5 of the tab on the food twice a day.. No taste and no problem. The moms should have no more that 200 mgm of elemental calcium a day when nursing..just use the finest part of a cheese grater..
Please keep us informed and of course, always run this stuff by your vet. This is more holistic than many..GoodLuck with your younguns..

I did get the tums in, since I took that advice here and crushed it up in her food.. we switched to can food because she wasn't eating the puppy food anymore, she never did care for it, but ate it- now she was refusing to eat much of it so the vet suggesting can food. I have only given 1/2 tab of tums.
per day... (edited to add the per day)

I am not offended by the statement about not taking care of the pups... you don't know me, or seen how things are in this house, so you were just making a statement on something you feel strongly about. I appreciate any knowlege or advice you are willing to share, this is new to me, and although I have read and read, there is nothing like advice from someone in "real life"

I am doing all I can for all the dogs, the mom, the pups and my other dog who is going through a depression because of missing her sister.

I have tried to take every precaution to ensure a healty litter and mom.

I have done warm compresses and cool ones(for comfort) and expressed milk out of the harder teet... (to make sure it still looks good- the vet recomended this)

I will run to the store tomorrow and get probiotics (the "good" bacteria in the intestines)

i will also be going to the vet tomorrow and discuss the antibiotics with him, because my little ones are sneezing and have a runny nose.

Thank you all for the advice, i appreciate it- the more knowledge and information I can get the better... the babies and mom deserve the best.

So if you can think of anything else I need to do let me know.

And I am all for "alternative" medicine, a balance of both makes for a healthier body I think.
thanks again
brenda

You can actually buy the small tubes of BeneBac at pet stores. I give a tube to my new moms when they take their new baby from me. Any stressor can set these babies aflutter..Some people say give 'em yogurt as it has acidophilus in it BUT some dogs do not handle lactose in the dairy and it is hard to judge how much to give them..