Belle's puppies were born, but it was a bitter sweet moment, day, month...as mentioned in our first post, we lost Woodstock, Sebastian, and Johann. We were happy to have our 4 little pups safe at home and yet, something looked off in their development.
I had a feeling around week 2 that something was just not right with our pups development. In the back of my mind I knew that there would be hurdles to jump but this one seemed like a mountain to climb.
I had read an article on Swimmers Syndrome. It is a puppy that cannot get up on his feet and start walking at the appropriate age, usually around 2 weeks. It causes puppies to lay on their sides, or flat on their backs because once the chest cavity flattens they are just not comfortable in any other position. They are unable to stand up, or walk, instead their legs flail out and they scooch about like turtles, or in our case walrus's. If the chest cavity flattens, it is of real concern, as it compresses and heart and lungs; this sometimes results in a puppy that is not thriving like the rest of the litter. If left too long, it can result in permanent damage. Thus, many vets recommend that a "swimmer puppy" be euthanized.
We did not have one puppy with swimmers syndrome, we had four. Four adorable little pups ranging from 8 to 18 ounces flailing about was cute at first, but we knew as soon as we saw the symptoms that we had to act fast to prevent them from dying. Euthanization? Not even an option!
Thus each pup was assigned an adult handler. My husband Jon, built what we called a race track that was wide enough to keep the pup upright. But they still had to have some assistance. My daughter made leg bands for each pup, essentially strapping their back legs together so that they could not sploot out. This helped them stand. And it was such a great moment when each pup took a turn in the race track chasing a mini tennis ball. They were WALKING! We were elated! Still, there was much work ahead. The pups needed 24 hour care. They did not just get up and walk on their own, and they needed to be propped up on little pillows, made just for them out of fiber filled socks, so that their chest cavities would not lay flat and stay in that position.
At 2 plus weeks old these pups also needed to be up and walking. They should be learning to eat soft foods, and drink water. None of this was possible because, after any eating attempts they would regurgitate and choke. If left flat, they could aspirate what they had eaten and pneumonia was a real concern, especially in Ludwid who LOVED his food, but was unable to keep it down.
We took turns around the clock keeping the puppies on a schedule so that each had physical therapy with their assigned handler.
Soon, the pups were up and walking, eating, running around, and while they have made great strides in this regard, we have 2 pups that still exhibit hip and joint issues. This could be as a result of the genetic condition from Wolfie, (dad) or as a result of the swimmers syndrome. They will always need help and are getting the very best care imaginable from their handlers, and their doc, Dr. Bobbie.
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