dear coreen, i read
your article on swimmer puppies and the ones who have been saved but the
directions for the harness are not available as far as i can see.
we just returned from the vet with our 16 day old lhasa apso who has not
gained weight like his siblings, and cries after i bottle feed him and
also after he nurses for a few seconds.. he had difficulty nursing and
liked to prop on the mother's side rather than eat.. i have slept on the
floor with him since he was born...tonight he appeared to be in respiratory
distress and the vet diagnosed pectus excavatum. i am starting tube feeding
him but he suffers after only 1cc of formula. if you can offer any suggestions
i would be so appreciative and so would EBONY and my 3 daughters.
please help if you can the vet acted as if euthanasia is the best
alternative..thank you so much..cheryl olson
dear coreen,
thank you so much for your prompt reply. after i read your info yesterday
and tried the side technique i found ebony was able to nurse quite abit..last
night i was up all night helping him and he nursed so much...i didn't even
need to tube feed him or use the bottle...he hasn't been in as much distress...after
i read your email i tried to make the sock harness... should it go all
the way over all 4 legs?. i made one that fit from his neck to just above
his penis hoping to avoid getting urine all over it. he immediately fell
asleep and looked like a little angel...is lying on his back harmful? i
had been propping him on his side in a basket with towels wedging him in
til i read how to make this sock thing, but i'm not sure i have it right.....the
tube sock had so many elastics exposed that i worried he'd get tangled
in it...do you think this is genetic and we should never again have puppies?
we had the puppies mainly so my daughters could experience the wonder of
it all, but have found it very rewarding in spite of the difficulties and
lack of help from the vet..thank goodness you were so helpful!!! thank
you a ton. cheryl
p.s. is the purpose
of the cotton balls to prevent them from lying on the stomach or to soften
the pressure if they do? thanks again, cheryl and ebony
dear coreen,
i just wanted to let you know that ebony is progressing. he was the first
puppy to walk and he is the most playful and animated. he has gone from
his birth weight of 7 oz to 24 oz. he was the first to wag his tail, respond
to our voices, and to scratch his ears. he loves to play with his litter
mates. he hates not being on his tummy. when he lies on his back his stomach
flattens out where his siblings' stomachs are full and rounded. is there
anything else i should be doing or watching for. he is so precious we don't
want anything to happen if we can prevent it. thanks again for all your
help. cheryl
can you tell
from the picture how his stomach spreads out ? |
