| Irma's Story We breeders all know that wonderful feeling when, after an easy whelping, we sit beside the whelping-box, the babies peacefully drinking, the bitch has had her red wine and egg-yolk and we’ve had a glass of wine ourselves, the dirty washing is already flattering on the line outside and we’re simply grateful that all went well. And how many of us, happy and perhaps slightly tipsy, have fallen asleep sitting there! But there is another side to the story. You notice that something is not as it should be but can’t put your finger on it Your heart hurts. The bitch isn’t panting in a usual way, her eyes don’t look as they should and she doesn’t smell right. The puppies take longer to utter a cry when you’re rubbing them dry and there’s no sign of milk. A dead puppy arrives. Stress. Everything takes ages and you feel awful – fear for the babies and for your girl. The babies die. You are there day and night. You can’t sleep. You hold puppies on the tits for hours on end and if you do sleep you wake up with just one thought, dread to look but run straight to your girl and her babies. You phone breeder-friends. Hang on to straws and can only hope. It all began straight after Irma was mated. She developed a secrete, which didn’t seem serious – any way not in the opinion of the vet or befriended breeders. This can happen and is all right as long as it is colourless and doesn’t smell bad, the girl hasn’t a temperature. I wasn’t happy about it but was apparently alone with my anxiety. Others seemed to think I was making a mountain of a mole-hill. But when friends asked after Irma, I always said that I was worried and that something was wrong. About three weeks before she was due, she had a huge milk-bar – even my vets had never seen the likes and douldn’t advise me as to what I might do about it. |
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On the 63rd day I told a friend that Irma still gave no sign of beginning but went out to pee very often. Soon after that the first two puppies arrived and then all went very quickly. Two arrived dead, two were incapable of living and had to be put to sleep.
Once all the babies
were there, the battle for Irma’s life began. She seemed to be still in
labour hours later and her milk-bar got even bigger. My vets and those at
the university clinic couldn’t help. I fought for the life of my girl and her babies for five days and nights. Two more puppies died, my lovely, sweet-natured girl pulled through and I feel proud and happy about that. |
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I am still worried about the four babies we have and can but hope they manage it. At present I feel optimistic but we never know how Mother Nature may decide. |
