Did I make the right decision?
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
United States
December 11, 2009 7:22am CST
Dec, 5th my dog gave birth to 12 puppies. We were expecting them where we are breeders. But, something went wrong and mom deserted all of them, she wouldn't even go near them. So we brought them in the house at least the 10 she hadn't killed. She had killed 2 puppies. The biggest male which was twice as big as the other males was bleeding big time from his cord. I spent most of my next 24 hours working with him and trying to keep him alive. The rest of my time was spent caring for the other 9 puppies. By the next morning the male had stopped bleeding but he was still weak.
I then noticed that the other puppies were not acting right even after the feedings. 1 oz. of formula per puppy is the normal but these puppies were weak, and didn't seem to be growing, so off to the vet I went. The vet told me they were premature that they wouldn't make it. I had 3 choices. 1) I could pay him to try and save them there at the clinic with a 50% success rate. The cost would be around $2000. 2) I could have him put them down. 3) I could take them home and try myself to keep them going.
I went with option 3, I figured that I couldn't afford $2000 and maybe have only 5 babies make it if even that. If I sold the puppies I would never make that much back. Putting them to sleep would make it so none would have a chance. Now 6 days later we have one surviving puppy. All the rest I have been with as they would pass on.
But I have to wonder if I did the right thing, would you have done what I did? Do you think I made the right choice by giving them all that last little bit of hope?
4 responses
@planeswalker (102)
• Singapore
14 Dec 09
i definitely agree with you!! option 1 would have been too pricey for me!! while option 2 is too cruel as i think they deserve a chance to stay alive!! option 3 is the best that you can do as there is still a last bit of hope, we should not give up on them!! they are still a new life which we should not deny their chance to live on.
1 person likes this
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
• United States
16 Dec 09
Thanks for the support. I felt in a way like I was doing the right thing, but when you see so many of them die you wonder. We even lost our last baby, but I knew that she had been loved. I guess knowing that they are loved and taken care of is what counts. At least we did everything that we could for them.
@trisha27 (3494)
• United States
12 Dec 09
I think that you have done the right thing. I would have done the same, actually I did the something as close to as that, but I was nursing a cat back to healthy, because otherwise I would have had a high vet bill as well. Not everyone has $2000 and you're right there may have been the possibility of at least a few surviving. By the way the cat survived. So you know, at least if this one puppy survives, at least you saved that one.
1 person likes this
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
• United States
13 Dec 09
Well even our little angel passed on last night she couldn't keep fighting to live. But that is what happens when babies are born way to early, at least I know she was loved and held during her time here. The good thing is that I know they all had plenty of love, where if I had of paid the $2000 they would never have been loved that much before they passed on. Thanks for the support.
@jazzsue58 (2666)
•
11 Dec 09
To you, they're your babies. People who have hopelessly prem babies give them every chance they can - some make it, some don't. I'd say, 12 was a big litter and maybe your dog did the "natural" thing and abandoned them because she knew they wouldn't make it. Nature is cruel like that. So are nature films (you know, where they film the animals struggling but won't intervene)
But you weren't cruel - they had a good life and didn't suffer (I assume they weren't screaming in pain and were strong enough to take in water) I hope the last one pulls through but, even if he doesn't, you did the right thing. Lots of people drown perfectly healthy animals - god bless you for having a good heart. Karma rules, okay?
1 person likes this
@pmbhuntress09 (1608)
• United States
11 Dec 09
Thanks for the support. We tried everything possible with the puppies even trying to feed them with an eye dropper near the end. I hate to see anything suffer. They never screamed in pain but you could see they were in pain trying to breath the last of it. But I stayed with them even petting them so they knew someone was there.
The one that has survived we almost lost on Wens. She started to stop eating and I kept at her until when she was back to normal. But she has been bigger from the start I believe it is because she was the last one born. But she also is filling in normally and is eating good, as well as breathing good. She actually is sleeping in the bed with us so I can keep a close eye on her. I put her box and heating pad right close to me at night.
I have to say though this is one puppy we wont be selling, we decided last night to keep her since she has gone through so much. Even my cat has started to get interested in her. He keeps watching her and wants to be close by when I feed her.
@xizhilang (106)
• China
12 Dec 09
Animals are our friends,we should protect them ,no matter what happened.To be honest ,i did such things.But now,i realized the action is wrong.So,let us participate in the action of protecting animals.
