b.jane05 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Hi, I have a question for anyone out there that could help me...A border collie bitch of mine had puppies 6 days ago...All pups were born fine and healthy except one...I went to check them a few hours after they were born and i saw one had what I thought were dried blood on her eyes...When I picked her up to have a closer look I realised both of her eyes were actually open...I rang the vet and they said that she will most likely be blind, which is fine by me I will keep her myself, I have heard that blind dogs adjust very well (but I may be wrong)..Anyway when I went to check her the 2nd day I realised she was laying away from all the others and very weak so I tried to latch her onto her mother and she just mouthed at the nipple..I decided then to intervine and brought her inside and started to try and bottle feed her... Thats when I realised she had a cleft palate...Now this little girl is a fighter she very quickly has learnt how to drink out of this bottle without actually sucking and she is now 6 days old and fat and starting to get very mobile, but I would love to know if they can survive with a cleft palate when they have to start drinking and eating on their own...I have been doing my research on the net and most places say they survive without to much hassle...So I was just wondering if any breeders out there have had any experience with these kinds of problems...I would dearly love to keep her alive but if she is going to suffer I will have her put down, I am just so attached to her and want to do the right thing...She is my little baby and part of the family already...Please any advice would be great, thanks people Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 We PTS at birth any pups with hare lips or cleft palates. The amount of time and energy that goes into raising them ( if they make it ) can be detrimental to the rest of the litter. If they do survive, they then require surgery. I personally do not think it fair to prolong the life of such a puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Oh dear, I think the more you try to help her the harder it will be for you if she cant survive. Please get some sound advice from your vet asap. best wishes to your little pup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolassesLass Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I personally do not think it fair to prolong the life of such a puppy. My opinion too. So sorry you've had to go through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashanali Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I personally do not think it fair to prolong the life of such a puppy. It's a hard choice to make as a breeder... but I agree with SBT123. In my second litter I had two with cleft palate. Both were PTS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I was always of the thought that breeders put down clefts pretty much straight away because they fail to thrive and wont survive. But it seems that the pup you have might just survive because she seems to be thriving. I guess you have to weigh up what her future life is going to be like and if she is going to have a good quality of life. My point of view is that any disability in a dog can be managed and a happy life can be lead. If the right owner who is willing and able to put in the time is available. But saying that I would never keep a dog alive if it was not a happy life. I can understand why breeders put down puppies with problems because in theory you will never be able to sell, show, breed with it and the time and effort that it may take to look after it is beyond you. b.jane05 if the puppy continues to thrive and you are willing to put in the extra time and effort it takes to look after a disabled dog then go for it. But as you have said you know that if she is suffering you are prepared to let her cross the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.jane05 Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 Thanks for your help guys... I think I may take her to the vet tomorrow and have her PTS...I dont mind spending the time and energy it will take to help her have a happy life but at the same time, if she is suffering it makes me feel ill...I just feel I am letting her down by giving up cause she is trying so hard to live..Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 It would be PTS here too. .Anyway when I went to check her the 2nd day I realised she was laying away from all the others The mum knows she has issues & would most likely shun her ,in nature pup would be left to die . I applaud the fact your happy to keep a blind pup but having owned dogs with disabilities & a dog who was fully blind at 4 years it is alot of hardwork & requires you to give up alot of your time.We where lucky as we work from home & could cater for there needs. If i had a pup with these 2 issues i would PTS now whilst its less stressful than faced with the same possibility when older,it is much more distressing then especially when pup will be so reliant on you Your not giving up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Danni Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 b.jane05, take her to the vet asap so that you can make an informed decision either way. At least if you decide to keep her, you will know what expenses you are likely to incur for her eventual surgery and the work that will be involved in keeping her alive. Despite our best intentions, sometimes surgery to prolong the life of a sick puppy is prohibitive, or you just cannot physically do what needs to be done for their care. If she does cross the bridge, just keep this thought in mind that she will be back in your next litter, in a more complete body. That's how I got through losing 2 from my last litter after nursing them for 11 and 14 days. Good luck, my thoughts are with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 My heart goes out to you ,this is one of the hardest dessions one has to make as a breeder . from past experiances I have found the harder you struggle to keep pup alive ,the harder it is to give it its wings ,when the time enevitibly comes . I would be seaking guidence from yr past experiances (if you have had them)Or that of your vet . Mother nature knows best & sometimes we have to let our special babies go in the name of devotion & love . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mish13 Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 I friend of mine was given an Amstaff puppy for free because it had a cleft pallet and was going to put it down. The cost to fix the problem was around $900 and the dog could eat without a problem. The dog was put down before she was eighteen months old because of her temperament. It turned out not only did she have the cleft problem she had some brain damage and was very dog savage. She attacked there other dog, a staffy and nearly killed him. Lots of money was spent on drugs to calm her down but nothing worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Puppies are usually checked for cleft palates on day one and pts asap. If they are missed they can sometimes survive but have a very high chance of repeated bouts of pneumonia until surgery can be done to cover the hole. Brain damage is also a definite possibility. With this puppy probably being blind as well I would definitely pts now rather than later. Also have a look at your pedigrees as cleft palates are more common when line breeding and especially when inbreeding. If you breed the bitch again then next time find an outcross. Not an easy task with BCs as the lines are all pretty tight despite the popularity of the breed but the chances of problems are less with a pedigree with no more than one common dog in four generations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.jane05 Posted September 8, 2009 Author Share Posted September 8, 2009 Hi Everyone, thank you all for your help and kind words...I took her to the vets this morning and had her PTS...During the night she started to have seizures and I knew I couldnt let her suffer like that...I know it was the best decision also a very sad one, as I have never had to do this before...But I know she is in a better place now and out of pain...Thanks again for your help guys.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 sorry for your loss b.jane Run free little one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puggy_puggy Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 RIP little one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cockerlover Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 fly free little angel with all the other *special ones*,hugs 2u bJane05 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jed Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Sorry b.jane05, but it does happen. For anyone thinking about breeding with no one to ask. Often if a pup in a litter has two problems, no matter what they are, the pup generally will probably be defective - and there are likely to be other problems as well, which are not discovered until later. There is no scientific basis for the above statement, just experience and hands on knowledge. Some pups just aren't made right, or viable. In fairness, the staffy with the hare lip could have been fine otherwise. And if it had been 100% physically, it could still have had brain damage, which might not have been obvious till later. Bad luck for the owner, who tried to hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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