It's late, and we're just back from the emergency vet with Roxie and her three surviving puppies. It's all a long story, so I figured I'd blog it while I'm staying up to check on their well-being hourly-ish.
It was really hot today, and the spot Roxie had picked for her pups turns out to have not been sufficient to keep them cool. They were clearly not well when we got home from work, and so a trip to the vet was needed. Roxie was great about letting us put a leash on her and collect her puppies for the ride to SW Vet Specialists.
The vet said that all the puppies were hyperthermic and dehydrated, but one of them was in worse shape than the other two. The two good shape puppies are pups 2 (the white one John is holding in the photos) & 3 (the surviving brown and white one). They needed subcutaneous fluids and some glucose, and to have the dirt and crud cleared out of their little airways - but they were/are feisty and plump.
Pup 4, the little white one who shows up in the
photos in the Kodak Easyshare Album I posted as a small white lump hanging out in the back, with his head in Roxie's belly, was in pretty serious distress. His temp was 105.4 or something, and he had to go in the oxygen tent. He's not nursing, and it's not clear if he may have had brain damage from the hyperthermia. We can only wait and see. He's also a lot smaller than the other two.
By the way, all three are boys. We don't have names for them yet - but names will have to come soon.
Roxie seems to be fit, and all pups were released into our care at about 9pm tonight.
1 comment:
I checked to see if you were blogging the other day but not after Pup 1 was lost because I thought you were probably exhausted and too tired for blogging - or else I'd have been commenting all along.
This heat is clearly not a good thing for such fragile little guys. I'm so sorry about Pup 4. I know this must be so distressing for both of you and for Roxy. But YOU are clearly doing everything you can do. Roxy is lucky to have you both looking out for her and her pups. Hang in there you guys.
Post a Comment