# 3 week old litter of puppies with distemper



## Monte (Nov 22, 2008)

I am new to the boards so I posted incorrectly at first on another thread so I am asking you to look at my post under diagnosed with distemper decided to fight. It is such a long post I couldn't bare to type it all again and I couldn't make it past to my new thread. Sorry for the inconveince.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Here's your post. I just copied and pasted 


Monte said:


> I have a litter of 9, 31/2 week old blue heeler puppies that have come down with distemper.Their mother was vacinated but she may have been one of the ones the vaccine does not work on well? She has had many litters before and all were healthy and we are in contact with many of the puppies so we know there were no problems after they left us. The father also lives here with us. I have 2 sick babies that show signs of vistibular disease. One is rapidly getting better and is able to walk in a straight line already with only a slight head tilt,(4 days after onset). The other is still circling and tilting her head. These two prefer to drink out of a bottle. The one that is showing improvement will join his brothers and sisters at the feeding pans but he is not terribly strong yet. The little girl I keep seperated and she has a hot water bottle to keep her warm. These puppies were outside until they got sick and I quickly brought them inside to the basement at first in seperate cardboard boxes and then into a large whelping type box as they improved, with a lamp over the top for warmth. They are all eating a mashed gruel of softened puppy kibble and dried milk mixed with warm water until it is a disgusting gelitonous mess that they seem to love.
> Our veterinarian is very good and is amazed at their rapid improvement. When he first saw the last eight that I took to him they had crusty eyes and noses and seemed very depressed. The one little girl was showing signs of vistibular disease. I had brought the first male in the day before with vistibular symptoms. I guess he was just a early bloomer. Onset of the disease symptoms was incredibly fast. They were pretty normal puppies although I did notice a couple of crusty eyes in the morning, but sometimes I see that using straw as a bedding and it clears up in a day or so. By evening they were visibly feeling very icky. Almost everybodies eyes were stuck shut and they were crying. It was the most horrible feeling I have ever had as a breeder. I have never had sick puppies and then to have this.
> For some reason it never crossed my mind to euthenize them, I suppose because I am very soft hearted. I have spent 4 days feeding and changing papers and holding distressed ones and they are now starting to play and eat very well. I am not sure what the out come will be. I am told that they may well have side effects later in life from having distemper so I do not feel good about advertising them for sale. I would of course disclose that they had been sick and make sure that any buyer knew the possibile problems they faced. I feel that I should give them away to people who would give them good homes. My husband is having a fit because of the vet bills and now I will have no source of income from the litter, but I don't care, our dogs have made a wonderful reputation for themselves and people are always asking when they will have another litter. This is a difficult time and I wish I knew if the puppies would be effected down the line in theirs lives or not, they seem to be improving very rapidly. I should have mentioned they are currently on amoxecillin and the vet is contemplating changing the antibiotic next week. I am also using a eye salve if needed, but no one has needed it for several days now.
> I would appreciate replies to my post. It has been a difficult and emotional 4 days keeping these little guys alive and I am not even sure if I should have, I just did because it seemed the thing to do without question at the time.


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

You need to talk to your vet, your post sounds like you didn't quite know what your doing, no offence, but raising a litter of puppies takes careful planning, and making sure the puppies don't come in contact with any fatal diseases, and that the mother is health tested, and healthy. The reason they got it, most likely, was because you had them outside, instead of in a house that would have helped protect them from this.

Speak to your vet, ask the VET what the side effects could be, they could be anywhere from a little bit of wobbling, to barely being able to walk at all, only your vet will be able to tell you the extent of the damage.


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## zimandtakandgrrandmimi (May 8, 2008)

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_vestibular_disease.html

brain tumors? wow...you really need to be talking to a vet IMO..



and please rethink the breeding thing...check the sticky in the general forum called 'Kaelyns Pre Breeding Exam..a thousand bucks..' to see an example of a thorough and experienced breeder ...the fact that you were expecting to make money off the pups is a major red flag IMO....


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## Monte (Nov 22, 2008)

I feel that I must defend myself. our bitch has whelped 6 times in the past in safe healthy quarters, in a outside shed. These are working cattle dogs and she becomes very aggitated when she is forced to enter the house, so no house for whelping for her. She does have a very clean warm safe area to whelp in. As for the alligation that we are raising puppies to make money off of them, we are not. we do not charge much at all just enough to cover food cost and vet cost, we happen to have two excellent working dogs and people ask if we are going to breed them so they can have puppies from them. That is why we breed this pair. We are not a puppy mill, churning out puppies to fill our bank account. I came to this site hoping for some help but it seems that you are more or less judgemental and make assumptions without the facts. I will not return.


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## wabanafcr (Jun 28, 2007)

Monte said:


> I feel that I must defend myself. our bitch has whelped 6 times in the past in safe healthy quarters, in a outside shed.


SIX litters from one bitch? Poor girl...


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Sorry, Monte, you won't get much sympathy here....but good luck for your dog's sake.


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## Pepper (Jan 27, 2008)

> My husband is having a fit because of the vet bills and now I will have no source of income from the litter.


A good breeder doesn't even make an income when they breed, they spend thousands, and barely break even, but they don't do it for money, they do it purely to better the breed, most show their dogs, or do something with the dog that they were bred for. They don't just take a "healthy" dog and breed them to another "healthy" dog to make "healthy" puppies.



> I feel that I must defend myself. our bitch has whelped 6 times in the past in safe healthy quarters, in a outside shed.


And this means either your dog has whelped every year for 6 years, and your dog is too old to be breeding and having puppies, which is irresponsible to keep making her have puppies, or you have whelped her more than once a year, a few times, which in itself is not right.

And for the health of the puppies, you should have tried to get her inside, now look at what happened because of having puppies outside in your healthy safe shed.

I'm not trying to be mean, but I think you need to learn a little bit more instead of continuing with this lifestyle, not for you, but for your dogs.


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## chul3l3ies1126 (Aug 13, 2007)

Wow... poor girl indeed.
Nessa


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

Well, I have to say something here. While I agree that 6 litters is a LOT for any Bitch to have, the OP is a rancher or farmer. The thinking and handling of working farm or ranch animals is often quite different than it is with pet animals. 

Cattle dogs live outside most of their lives, so inside is not how it works for them. They often whelp in a box stall under a heat lamp in clean conditions (straw bedding). 

That said, all farm animals, be they livestock or working stock or barn cats, need basic vaccinations and protection from communicable disease and regular veterinary examinations. 

I too hope the puppies turn out OK.


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