SLF

Im not sure if this is the correct place to put such a request. I have a beautiful healthy kelpie pup that is 5wks old. However she is blind. Her dam was bitten by a snake late in gestation and this is a side affect of being exposed to the snake venom. If I cannot find a home for her I will make the decision to have her put to sleep. This is a HUGE commitment, that requires a very very special home. I am asking here because this is our last option. Here is a link to her on my FB page, I don't know how to add photo's sorry. If you think you can help please let me know. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152309342123478&set=a.10150817734748478.484786.776823477&type=1&theater

this is my last ditch effort, before the final decision is made. If you know of anyone who would be experienced enough to take on a dog that is blind, please let me know. There is a photo on my FB page and here is a link. I just cant make that final decision until I have at least exhausted all the options first. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152309342123478&set=a.10150817734748478.484786.776823477&type=1&theater

It is a worry. She is anxious and scared. Instead of barging around she sits and cries. Poor little mite. I just want to cuddle her all day, but I have to be fair to her. As that is not quality of life

From memory this condition in cattle occurs when the foetus forms and the vessels that create 'abdominal fluid' do not form properly and form too much fluid everywhere. Its just a random thing. I think it also affects the bone formation and its more like cartilage than bone, making them soft and squishy. I have only seen one in real life, but was told by the Vet that are just one of those things that can happen.

The vet just confirmed she is totally blind. She can hear and is otherwise healthy. The other behaviours are from worrying because she cat see..being anxious. The crying a lot is normal behaviour for a blind puppy they vocalise so they can find the other pups and gain reassurance when the vocalise back. The unsteady gait and toppling over is purely because she cannot see where she is walking. Im so torn on what to do. I have spent so much of myself keeping these little pups alive that I am gutted. Though I have invested all this to give them quality of life, and now I have to way hers up. I would love a magic wand and just to wave it and find someone who would be willing to adopt her but I think that would be a miracle. The rest of the litter will be checked next week.

yes Sandgrubber that's my thoughts this morning. A somewhat compromised puppy can lead a 'normal' happy life but where is that line in the sand ? ! ? I will talk to my vet today and do a few little tests at home. If she is totally blind or deaf or whatever then if a decision needs to be made I would rather make it quickly.

No she doesn't play. When they huddle to sleep she is usually on the bottom. Curled up head tucked in, like a penguin sitting up with her head tucked right down on her chest. Its weird . They come to her, more often than she goes to them. I didn't think of hearing, she is asleep now with Reba in the box, I will clap and things at her tomorrow see what she does. She eats when you take her to the food bowl, she feeds from the bottle when you pick her up and put it in her mouth. She is mobile though, she can walk and get about. The other night she got out of the whelping box, and I found her just huddled up crying in the middle of nowhere. She is affectionate and normal looking, though I feel like there is something I just cant put my finger on. She was toppling over a lot but that isn't obvious anymore.

Ok so those of you that followed our story this is one of Reba's pups. They suffered the snake bite in utero and are now almost 5wks old. They are being hand feed but Reba is with them mothering them. I have had concerns re one of the little bitch pups from about 2wks old. I am beginning to think perhaps she cant see properly? She crys a lot, whimpering, and sits alone with her head on her chest. She seems 'lost' a lot, cannot find the other pups. Now they are on solids she seems to find the food bowl by following another pup's body to the bowl, not just head in like the others. Now they are spending the day outside in the pen, she doesn't come to the door when I open it and cut across the pen, but uses her nose to follow the wall of the pen to find the door. I am really starting to wonder. They are due at the vet next week for 6wk check up. Im wondering maybe I should take her in before that. Otherwise she is well. Good condition and active but just not the same as the others. What are your thoughts or experiences? thanks

I am lucky I have a home for this little girl if she isn't 'quite right'. I have a wonderful family who will take her on if she needs a little extra care. Every now and then she seems a little spaced out and topples over. It looks neurological. She also looks to struggle a little with foot placement/balance. However some days its hard to pick and she seems quiet fine. Im hoping once she is stronger and more co-ordinated that this may be less evident and may just be she isn't as strong as the others? She feeds well, and gets around ok. So we will just wait and see.

Hello :) the pups are doing very well. I have small concerns with one of the little bitch pups. Sometimes she seems to be a little neurologically 'odd' I cant quite put my finger on it and it may be nothing but at times I wonder if she is ok. Im hoping its nothing and I am just watching them too closely. Developmentally they are good, they have tiny teeth now, and they bite! they are barking at me when they are hungry as I am still bottle feeding round the clock. Reba is still with them and doing the best she can but unable to sustain enough milk for 5 hungry mouths. I have just fed them now and decided tomorrow I must trim there nails, they are so sharp and I have scratches all over my forearms. I can only imagine poor Reba. I also noticed one of the pups had scratches on her tummy that had been bleeding. Its also time to start to introduce some solid food. I cant keep the milk up to the big ones and the little ones will benefit from the extra feed. Thanks for keeping track of us. I will be back again soon x

Im holding up ok, tired but the pups are much stronger now which picks up the spirits. Im doing my last top up feed about midnight, then start again about 6:30am. Reba is letting me feed more in the whelping box which makes it easier, as I just rotate the pups between her and the bottle. She is relaxing more and even enjoyed a swim yesterday and a short play with the other dogs while having some time outside. So nice to see her 'old self' coming back.

just popping in to link a photo of Daisy and her bottle. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152253920048478&set=a.10150817734748478.484786.776823477&type=1&theater :heart:

I rang Werribee after you suggested and they were not able to help much. We decided we need to lightly sedate Reba with Valium. Just a light dose when the anxiety and barking became a problem. It has made the world of difference. I think to be able to break the cycle of stress was the key. stressed bitch = not eating = no milk = hungry pups = distressed bitch = distressed pups etc etc etc.. I also started her on Fenugreek tablets. Im now topping all the pups up after she has feed them. They are drinking about 10mls each after she has let them feed. Here is a photo of Daisy and her bottle https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152253920048478&set=a.10150817734748478.484786.776823477&type=1&theater

Oh My !!! I did not know this thread was here ! I cannot believe the amount of support we have gathered from people we do not know. I cannot believe that my dog and I have gained so much interest. Its overwhelming tbh. It truly does lift me when things are hard here though to know you are all behind me. I am a bit lost for words. Thankyou, doesn't seem like enough. - I have read some of your comments about my thread being in the Breeders Section. I did put it there initially bc I needed help from breeders. Hoping someone had been through a journey like this. I do have a link to some puppy photos, our first photo's taken yesterday. :D hopefully it works as I don't know how else to do it. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152247934203478&set=pcb.10152247934598478&type=1&theater I have just posted an update in the Breeders Section, but shall repeat here. Things are improving a little Im feeding the 3 smaller pups every 2-3hrs and the 2 bigger ones only a couple of times a day. This although not ideal seems to be working for now. Reba is still very stressed and its a fine line between interfering enough to help and doing too much and stressing her more. I must go, but thankyou everyone. Thankyou. edited to add - the closest DOL'ers to me would be W'bool , though Im still an hours drive from there.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152247934203478&set=pcb.10152247934598478&type=1&theater link to photo of the pups Thankyou we are managing - just. I am topping up 3 of the 5 pups every 2-3hrs. I am managing to get about 40ml/day each into them. They are also suckling from Reba. The other 2 big males seem to be doing very well on their own, though I still top them up twice a day if I can get them to take any they seem full to the brim the rest of the time. I know they probably need a bit more, but they so tire quickly. Even if I try to take the bigger ones off and leave the smaller ones, they still don't manage enough on their own. They tire and fall asleep. Reba is eating sporadically, and some times is a lot more calm than others. Mostly I am having to send her outside with food, while I feed the pups. Though last night she let me feed the little ones in the whelping box. On the condition I didn't hold them. If they are laying on the mat with her, and I am just holding the bottle then she is ok with that, but its time consuming. So mostly I send her out, feed the pups, and let her back in when they are asleep on the heat packs. This works best as she comes in and will sit calmly with them, and relax and sleep. Not fuss, or over tend to them. Mostly though she is stressed and anxious, I am seeing the vet today, I wonder if there is anything we can do about this? I wouldn't say we are out of the woods just yet, but they are improving and that's the main thing.

Today is a hard day, I feel that by trying to help the pups Im stressing my dog and vice versa. However I feel like we have come so far and really in the grand scheme of things this is still a very good outcome. Im trying to focus on the small positives and run with them. Im still not getting a great deal of milk into the pups, though Reba has eaten well overnight and taken herself to the toilet. So she must be feeling better to want to do that. The pups are more vibrant today, I can hear them crying out for her and they are moving not limp like yesterday. So that too is a good thing.

yes I know its not enough of a top up. The Vet said to aim for 20mls. They were so weak yesterday and found it so tiring to suckle. Hopefully today is a better day.

The cows milk is for her :) not the pups, they are on Divetelac. Long night, she didn't want me to feed them, kept getting stressed, so I had to put her out. I try to leave them be once I let her back in after I have fed them. Only go in to pat her, and feed her. I try not to touch the pups when I check on them. Only moving them if they are cold or she is sitting on one etc.. So far Ive got milk into the 3 smaller ones regularly, only small amounts 5mls-10mls but its better than nothing. The big male seems to be doing well on him own, as does his bigger litter mate, who I have only topped up once. This is not her first litter, she was text book with her last litter. Never put a foot wrong.

Thanks for the tips. The first bottle feed session, Reba hated it was barking like crazy, scratching and biting the pups and really stressed. I had to put her outside. She barked the whole time. It was horrible Second session, she was much calmer. Let me take one pup at a time, she watched intently but was much more understanding. I offered her food as a distraction this time, she devoured 2 bowls full the most she has eaten since having the pups. Its amazing since putting full content pups back in with her, how much calmer she is. She is laying on her side, relaxed. Not huddling them up. Not fussing at them and moving them about. Do you think that she knew the pups were stressed, bc they were hungry and that was inturn stressing her? Its only been 2 feeds but I cant believe the change in her temperament. ( yes she vet checked fine ) will see what the night brings oh --- can I give raw cows milk ? I can get plenty of that

Things are not going so well here, we lost a puppy this morning. A small female, who hadn't been right since birth. The other 5 pups are healthy, but very dehydrated and lethargic. Poor Reba has minimal milk, and is super stressed at the moment. She is constantly shifting the pups, licking them and huddling them under her chin. She wont let them feed properly because she keeps moving them to the front of her and almost hugs them in her front legs. So I am now bottle feeding the 5 remaining pups. They will of course get time with her too hopefully she will be able to pass some antibodies on to them. The vet also said I need to give the pups sometime away from her, she will not let them rest, as she is constantly fussing with them. I hoping to be able to do this when she is outside for toileting and I thought maybe if I feed her at these times also that will keep her occupied a while longer. She barks constantly and scratches when you take a pup away. Im not sure how Im going to manage feeding them and keeping everyone calm - inc myself I'd love any tips or advice you might have

I need some ideas please. I cannot tell these baby puppies apart. Mostly they are dark brown with white toes and chests atm. I have the puppy Velcro bands, but Reba keeps taking them off. She doesn't like me fussing with them so I need to be able to take a look and see who is feeding when. Especially as I have concerns about one of the girl pups but I keep losing her amongst the others. any ideas on marking the pups to tell them apart?

:eek: :eek: another GIRL. Number 6. WOW what an effort, its been 5 hours since the first pup is born. Reba is worn out, but doing great with not vet intervention. :D

I think I jumped the gun.................. :eek: we have ANOTHER LIVE PUPPY......number 5 another male. She still isn't 100% settled so hopefully there aren't too many more surprises

We have puppies :thumbsup: After a very slow start we have................ 2:20pm a girl very sluggish and took a lot to get going. Not very mobile, but once I put her on the teat she has stayed there nearly the whole time, so at least (I hope) she has had a good drink. 3:40 a male. 3:50 another male. Both very active and doing great. The second male was breech and both boys are quite big. 5:10 another girl. Small and breech. Also slow to get going. Took a bit of stimulation to get a response from her, but I think she will be ok. Reba doing a great job, VERY protective so now time to step back and leave her to settle. Will wait and assess the pups tomorrow and so forth. I cant believe how lucky we have been with Reba and these pups. Who would have thought. Im sure there is a lesson to be learned from this journey. Thankyou to everyone for your support I will post photos when she lets me.

Kirislin, her name is Reba. Long story but the short version is; many years ago I had a accident that nearly took my life. During my recovery I dreamt over and over of Reba McIntyre the country singer (I was not a fan of hers at the time). After my long recovery I wanted a dog with red hair that I could name Reba, as a symbol of how this re-occurring dream helped me through such a hard time in my life. It wasn't until about 10yrs later that I finally met a little feisty red pup. She couldn't be called anything else, she had to be Reba.