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Photos from the top : |
I'm delighted to report that both Fiia and Billy No Mates are making excellent progress, although it has been a pretty worrying time. Not only did Fiia develop an infection within 24 hours of her C-Section but her body also started to reject the suture material resulting in her wound breaking open over a period of a few days until the vet was able to remove all the material. I have been meticulously cleaning the area and airing it; it is an impossible site to have a dressing stay in place, so it has remained open to the elements (or rather sandwiched between her mammaries as she's lying on her side to feed!) so I regularly make her lie on her back, legs akimbo for cleaning; one end of the wound has closed and the remaining open area is developing granulated tissue so is on its way to closing. Last weekend Fiia was left at the vets as they were going to staple the wound shut, but upon closer inspection they found the surrounding skin too thin so I was left with no option but to leave it as it was, tend the wound and hope for the best.
Poor little Billy hasn't emerged unscathed either. Thankfully after two milk top ups last weekend, he has thrived on his Mother's milk and today weighs over 800 grams! However he developed a little skin infection (no doubt caught from his Mum) and had to have a patch of fur shaved to let the air to the sore area which I am also bathing daily.
I'm sure all our troubles are now behind us and we can relax a little more. Fiia has been a star throughout, never once being anything other than gentle and compliant - we have been to the vets almost daily and yet she still walks in and wags her tail! Yesterday was a breakthrough day - no need to see the vet for a whole week - woohooo!!! I want to say a big thank you to those who have kept in regular contact enquiring how we all are, your contact has been a great support.
I will be bringing Billy downstairs once his eyes are open so that he can be amongst the bustle of family life and then the fun can really begin! :-)
Today I read a deeply moving poem, clearly written by a breeder who knows full well the anguish and heartache involved when things go wrong. It brought a tear to my eye and I think provides a real insight into what a good breeder puts into each and every litter and puppy - summed up beautifully in the last line.
BREEDERS PRAYER
You'll love your little puppy, she'll make your house a home.
She'll be your very best friend, you'll never feel alone.
She'll make you smile, she'll make you laugh,
She'll fill your heart with love.......
Did she come from a breeder or did she fall from heaven above?
If you've never been a breeder or seen life through their eyes
as you hold your little puppy, please don't criticize.
You don't know of all the anguish and the times that bring such pain.
When we lose the battle with a little one and the tears flow like rain.
Sometimes we sit the whole night through waiting for babies to be born.
Oh the stress and trepidation when they're still not here by dawn.
Or the panic of holding a tiny baby in our hands
who weighs but 60 grams
Do I do this instead of that or that instead of this?
Alone we fight and hope we won't give him his last little kiss.
We pray he'll live to bring some joy and make a house a home
We know it's up to us and we fight this fight alone.
Formula, bottles, heating pads, we have to get it right
Two hour feedings for this tiny guy thoughout the day and night.
In our hearts we know we are probably going to lose this epic fight
but we keep trying to save him because God willing we just might
Day one he's in there fighting; we say a silent prayer
Day two & three he's doing well, with lots of love and care
Day four & five.....he's still alive, our hopes soar to Heaven
Day six he slips away again, dies in our hands day seven.
We take this little angel and bury him alone:
With aching heart and burning tears and an exhausted groan
We ask ourselves "Why do this? Why suffer all this grief?
To help them live to grow up strong is such a great relief.
So when you think of breeders and label them with "GREED".
If you have a healthy puppy it's cause they filled his every need..
When you buy a puppy, and with your precious dollars part,
You only pay with money.........we pay with a piece of our heart.
Amen.
Poor little Billy hasn't emerged unscathed either. Thankfully after two milk top ups last weekend, he has thrived on his Mother's milk and today weighs over 800 grams! However he developed a little skin infection (no doubt caught from his Mum) and had to have a patch of fur shaved to let the air to the sore area which I am also bathing daily.
I'm sure all our troubles are now behind us and we can relax a little more. Fiia has been a star throughout, never once being anything other than gentle and compliant - we have been to the vets almost daily and yet she still walks in and wags her tail! Yesterday was a breakthrough day - no need to see the vet for a whole week - woohooo!!! I want to say a big thank you to those who have kept in regular contact enquiring how we all are, your contact has been a great support.
I will be bringing Billy downstairs once his eyes are open so that he can be amongst the bustle of family life and then the fun can really begin! :-)
Today I read a deeply moving poem, clearly written by a breeder who knows full well the anguish and heartache involved when things go wrong. It brought a tear to my eye and I think provides a real insight into what a good breeder puts into each and every litter and puppy - summed up beautifully in the last line.
BREEDERS PRAYER
You'll love your little puppy, she'll make your house a home.
She'll be your very best friend, you'll never feel alone.
She'll make you smile, she'll make you laugh,
She'll fill your heart with love.......
Did she come from a breeder or did she fall from heaven above?
If you've never been a breeder or seen life through their eyes
as you hold your little puppy, please don't criticize.
You don't know of all the anguish and the times that bring such pain.
When we lose the battle with a little one and the tears flow like rain.
Sometimes we sit the whole night through waiting for babies to be born.
Oh the stress and trepidation when they're still not here by dawn.
Or the panic of holding a tiny baby in our hands
who weighs but 60 grams
Do I do this instead of that or that instead of this?
Alone we fight and hope we won't give him his last little kiss.
We pray he'll live to bring some joy and make a house a home
We know it's up to us and we fight this fight alone.
Formula, bottles, heating pads, we have to get it right
Two hour feedings for this tiny guy thoughout the day and night.
In our hearts we know we are probably going to lose this epic fight
but we keep trying to save him because God willing we just might
Day one he's in there fighting; we say a silent prayer
Day two & three he's doing well, with lots of love and care
Day four & five.....he's still alive, our hopes soar to Heaven
Day six he slips away again, dies in our hands day seven.
We take this little angel and bury him alone:
With aching heart and burning tears and an exhausted groan
We ask ourselves "Why do this? Why suffer all this grief?
To help them live to grow up strong is such a great relief.
So when you think of breeders and label them with "GREED".
If you have a healthy puppy it's cause they filled his every need..
When you buy a puppy, and with your precious dollars part,
You only pay with money.........we pay with a piece of our heart.
Amen.
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