chezal58

Thank you. It is lovely to see the day to day improvements.

Thursday's update. Gnarla came out of the pen to me today and wagged her tail gently. She had a long pee and has eaten two full bowls of fresh food (with added calcium). She does seem more and more content each day and doesn;t even worry about my other dogs and rescue pups being nearby. She is an absolute gem and deserves a much better life. I have had my son here and can finally show you some better pics/ Thank you everyone for your wonderful donations, suggestions and kind words. I will continue to keep you updated as the days go on and the pups and Gnarla get stronger. Pups are ALL boys so will be looking for nice strong names for them soon as well and I know you will all have some great suggestions.

Thank you anngirl. Your donation will help with special food and vet consults for Gnarla and the pups. I agree with you about the wonderful people and all the help they have given me on this thread. I cannot thank them enough.

Yes, hay bales are good. Also, as it's inside a barn, see if someone has a roomy but still compact pop-up tent to put their bed in... with flap open, so it's like a cave. That'd help keep the combined body heat of mum & pups in. It's also possible to get at Op shops, those padded quilts for toddler's beds. Would be great on the floor as they don't get as scrunched up as blankets. Putting blankets underneath the quilt helps hold in heat.... & also goes easy on the poor girl's bones which are sticking out. All great suggestions. She is lying on a heated pet bed - the largest one - so its a foam mattress with a lambswool topper and its on a tarp on the floor with blankets on top of that - I think I just need the hay bales to help her stay on the pet bed. Thank you.

Loving this idea. I wll try to get some ASAP. I do know that a lot of our farmer lost their Hay in the floods in March but maybe there will be some around. I will also insulate from the floor up tomorrow when hubby is home to help me get her out and moving. I have an oil filled heater somewhere I think. I do have blankets here but just need time to bring it all together so that she is cosy. I am sure I can get this done tomorrow! Thank you for the suggestions.

Thanks T. I will check with vet today when I collect calcium powder. I am sure she will feel better soon. Its now an issue of the freezing conditions we have here at them moment. The shed is not real warm and although she is on a heated pet bed, I have found her half off it on two occassions and she will not allow me to lift her (as if I could) back on it. Last night when I went down to feed pups, her whole back end had slid off and the pups were barely on the warm bed. I wish I had a box the same size as the large warm pet bed, but she does tend to lay on the pups at times especially when they crawl into the blankets for warmth. The pups are very warm to touch when I pick them up so she is doing a good job. Once I get a jacket on her I will feel better. I don't know what her reaction will be though as I'm sure shes never worn one before! I would love to bring her into the house in front of the heater but her poos are like land mines (and still a bit sloppy) and I am very sure she is not house broken, and I have to go to work and leave her too much. Thank you k9angel. I'm sure she will appreciate your efforts, as much as I do.

Thank you everyone for your advice and help. Today Gnarla ate some ice cream but was not keen to try the tinned Pedigree puppy food. She did eat some raw steak and drank lots of water with Nutrigel paste in it. She also took her AB's no worries. She seems a little brighter but is still reluctant to move so cleaning her bed is not really an option at the moment. I tried enticing her out with some raw meat but that only resulted in her deciding not to eat so can't say that was a success. I could put all the pups in a crate and that might allow her to move but she looks at me so apprehensively when I try I am reluctant to force the issue. She did try to clean a few bums tonight but not a lot of effort in it. Calcium powder is on the way and I will have her back at the vet as soon as I can, but honestly she does seem a little better today. Pups are fat, warm and seem healthy, even though they can't be getting a lot from her, she is doing all the "right" things. I will try chicken wings and formula next, but am confident she is doing better. :D I'm thinking a calcium milk shake with extra ice cream is on tomorrow's menu!

Done.

Well Gnarla still seems very depressed, but she is letting the pups suckle and will take steak and mince when she is hand fed. She is still taking Antibiotics and I will see the vet about some calcium supplement for her tomorrow. She still has a way to go, but at least she is eating something. I hope she gets her appetite back soon as nothing would give me greater joy right now than to see her eating voraciously! Here are a few more pics. Tomorrow I will try for pics of the pups. All boys - two blues, two brindles and a black with white chest. Cute chubby jelly beans!

She does fret a bit and this morning wouldn't move off the blankets so we could get to them underneath. Most times she hides away when we touch the pups. I really would like them to grow up with their mum but it may come to this if she doesn't get in some more milk. I wish I knew the right answer. If only she could talk....

Thank you T I wish she would eat cooked food. She just wants raw meat. I do feel that perhaps its what they had been feeding her before. Or maybe it just tastes good. She ate more steak tonight and I left her some sardines, kibble, steak and rissoles to go on with during the night, but after eating a small amount of steak she wasn't interested in anything more. I did try cooked meat and she was not keen. I cooked of some chicken and will try rice with it. I wish she would eat more but she wont. I am still supplementing the pups and all look healthy. I am also stimulating them to wee and poo at each feed. Poor girl looks so sad!

Thank you k9angel. I do hope she will eat them. She seems rather fond of raw meat at the moment and we are just giving her whatever she will eat most readily. She hasn't touched a tray of kibble that is near her bed.

OK will do in the morning - I'll go put out the tape measure to remind me! Thanks again.

Pups seem strong and are taking to the bottle at last. Mum ate some raw mince and we are crossing everything she can keep this down. She seems to be weeing ok now and all are hopeful signs. Each day seems like a week and progress is slow, but we will keep plugging away and maybe a phoenix will rise from the ashes soon - ish!! Thank you to everyone who has helped with the vet bill. I am over the moon and your wonderful caring and donations have moved me to tears more than once today. Hope all the mums had a very special day today - I know mine was made special with your help. Many thanks. Lets hope the next pic I post she will be standing and eating on her own!

Thankfully she has not rolled onto any pups so far and we are sup feeding them every three hours and checking on her condition. The saddest thing is she is also not cleaning them or cleaning up after them either. I guess she is just too weak. I have been helping her out with this for the moment. I will keep an eye on her and try to ensure pups are not in any danger.

I hope so too pattycake and I will be speaking with my boss in the morning re charges.

No problem at all and thank you so much. We all have our difficult (and expensive) cases but Gnarla's case is heartbreaking. I cannot begin to feel her loss at losing so many of her litter. I know she will be needing follow-up with the vet as well so every little bit will help immensely!

Just warm will be fine. Thank you.

She is extremely emaciated! I am trying to give small feeds but she is reluctant to eat anything at all without some heavy duty coaxing - mostly from a prone position beside her. Tonight however I have some good news. I put her AB's into raw mince and she ate this and some more very readily. I'm thinking she may have only ever had raw food in the past! We are giving her Lectade and Nutrigel (which she doesn't mind eating. I will try the formula for Gnarla too tomorrow. She seems to be drinking Ok as the water is disappearing from the bowl. I will have to try the ice cream as well. Maybe some for me and some for her ...lol. :D Thank you for your suggestions.

A jacket would be perfect! We were only discussing putting one on her today. She is about 50 - 55cms. It is very mild here tonight (may be some rain coming) so she is OK for now! Thank you kelpiecuddles!

I am crying now after reading your wonderful comments and learning of your kind donations. I have fed the pups and will do so again. Gnarla is not wanting to feed them at all and is lying on her nipples, but Lea and I have cleaned her pen and she is now on a heated bed with her babies. Lea even coaxed her to eat and drink a little bit!! Pups are definitely not getting much from her and she has little to give. I just wish she would eat and get better. Thank you so very much for your kind words and donations that have touched my heart and made me cry! Will see how she goes next feed

Sunday morning and gnarla seems a bit brighter, although still too weak to stand for long, she made it outside - well hubby carried her actually, to pee and then ate a little of the cooked lamb we offered. She took her ab's like a champ and ate the nutrigel paste. Today I will definitely sup feed the pups as she is just to weak to even produce milk. Who could resist this beautiful but sad and tragic face!

Yes thank you 'Hollys mummy' Donations can be made to RADAR I will pm you bank details. Please use "Gnarla" as the reference. Your help will be most appreciated. Woops - couldn;t pm so will risk it here Donations can be made to RADAR's account at St george Bank BSB 112-879 Acc 473359638. "Gnarla" Thank you so much! Cheryl

This morning I went down early to check how they were doing and mum was sitting up and cleaning the pups bums as they suckled peacefully. She even managed to come outside briefly to go to the toilet. She hadn't eaten anything though and my concern is whether or not the pups were getting enough nutrition. They were sleeping ok though so will check again tomorrow. This evening my hubby managed to get her to eat some steak and her Antibiotic tablet so we'll wait until tomorrow before we deside to sup feed the pups if necessary. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers and if you can help with the huge vet bill we are facing or have any suggestions that would be good too. Please don't judge me - I am doing my best and its really all about Gnarla and her pups not what I "should" have done!! I'll update this thread tomorrow.

Gnarla was in a lot of trouble. By the time I went down to the vet she was still on the table with her enlarged uterus exposed. It was still full of gunk and was starting to infect her system. The only good news was that it hadn't ruptured and there appeared to be no material in her abdomen. The vet finished the surgery and closed the incision, and we waited for Gnarla to come around. She got more AB's and pain relief intravenously but she was very slow waking up. She had no body fat at all and not a lot of strength left. Once she was beginning to come around we carried her out to the car and I brought her home. I just had to fit her in. The pound was no place for this little family. My wonderful hubby made up a pen and bed in the garage and the vet lent me a gel heat pad to help keep her warm. We cover the pen with blankets and blocked off any connection to the other dogs in care in the yard (three kelpie pups and one staffy x kelpie from a house fire; and two jack russells) and made her comfortable for the night. I left a small serve of wet food for her but she was still recovering from the anesthetic so I kept the pups inside for another feed before reuniting them with their mum. She did not react to them but they soon snuggled up to her on the heat pad and we left them to sleep and recover.