Puppies, puppies and time

Lady’s pups were in good condition considering the poor shape that she was in when she arrived at our house. She had three boys and two girls, none of whom resembled another. They were in varying patterns of black, brown, white, spotted, long hair, short hair and smooth coated. One thing that they all had in common was the need to be loved and fed.

Using a syringe and tube is not the most bonding form of feeding for a newborn. It gets the job done but they really miss the developmental part of nursing. And it is not without its hazards.

If you are going to use this method make sure that your vet has shown you how to do it. It is easy to miss the esophagus and go into the trachea hence sending the milk to the lungs not the stomach.

The pups did well. They were being fed every 3-4 hours or as soon as we could get out of school for lunch and the end of the day. Each was wrapped in a towel and placed in his own shoe box. One thing that you will find with the babies who are orphaned is that they will try and suck on anything that remotely resembles a teat. Doesn’t matter if it belongs to one of his siblings. And often the stronger and larger of the litter will single out the smallest and make his life miserable. You have to keep an eye out for that otherwise the there will be one chapped and swollen little guy.

At 8 weeks we took them back to the vet who was amazed at the healthy, happy litter. We were very lucky to find wonderful homes for all of them. And that, of course is the most rewarding part of taking care of foster “kids”. What can I say?? I was hooked.

later,

charlie