Diagnosis for Lyric's tiny puppy

[Ginny Nightingale]

Well, unfortunately, it is not good news. I brought my little "squirt" to my vet today and we found a sizeable cleft palate. But she is still very active and healthy-looking despite a lack of weight gain, so we decided to look into some solutions rather than just euthanizing her. One of the vet techs there raises kittens and has saved several squirrels using tube feeding and was very anxious to take "Squirt" on for a few days to see if she could get her weight up. (For free! I have such nice friends around here!) If she improves, we will cross the next bridge of teaching me how to tube feed. She has a special nipple that may help also and if that works, i don't have to use the tube.

There is a surgical specialist nearby that the vet called today about repairing the palate at the age of three months, and his charge was not so crazy that it isn't worth doing. So, I may have a very busy three months keeping this puppy healthy until the surgery can be done.  I'm up for it though! She has impressed me with her spunk! If she makes it past this weekend and is growing, we will give it a shot--I can take her up to the surgeon for evaluation in a few weeks. 

My daughter, who will be a vet in a few months, used to run a sheep farm and saved several very tiny lambs by bottle feeding them herself. All four made it to adulthood (she kept them and took them to vet school with her) and they turned out to be lovely sheep and all have since had babies of their own. So, there is hope!

The rest of the puppies are so fat and happy! The milk came in today and they are very satisfied. Lyric feels great and is romping around the yard during her "breaks"--she got a nice warm shower today and feels like a new bitch! LOL! I will post new pictures as soon as i can find my camera. I seem to have misplaced it---hmmmm, maybe I need more sleep.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'm not sure how you get anything else done ..... I wouldn't be able to just stop sitting and looking at these little guys.  They are so adorable!  We'll be saying a special prayer for little Squirt!

[sandy b]

Thanks for sharing the pics, so glad you found your camera. We are sending positive thoughts for Squirt. So glad you have such wonderful friends who can help.

[Clifford, Cloud, Jake..and Kim]

What a group of adorable roley poleys!  Squirt is still on our minds and in our prayers, those big brutes of brothers better look out - she's a fighter and will hopefully give them some tussling soon.

[BG and Gavin]

Is there anything that beats a puppy pile?  Just adorable.  Keeping my fingers crossed for Squirt.

[Taylor & Huff]

Lol next time you'd better look so there are no she hes or he shes hahaha. Poor squirt I hope she makes it.

[Ginny Nightingale]

Well, we were in for one more surprise this morning--I never looked at the apricot girl's genital area much, since my breeder had sexed them at birth and I was making coffee when she was born. She was always tucked into mom and hated being held, so i didn't bother to examine her more closely.This morning, as "she" rolled around on her back, it was clear that "she" was a HE!!! Oh, dear, 5 boys!! And a lesson learned.

On a brighter note, I got some great pictures last night after finding my camera tucked into a pile of teddy bears from my collection--did they steal it? Not sure!! But here are more pictures! The little one is not in this picture as she was at the home of the vet tech, but she is less than half the size of these fatties. 

 

Too cute, no?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yes, I do hope the weight gain occurs. There was just a similar case on a breeder discussion.

[Ginny Nightingale]

I agree about the low birth weight--after 12 hours of dedicated and expert tube feeding every 2 hours by my vet tech, she has not gained an ounce. I will do this myself for 24 hours to 48 hours-if no weight gain,then I think you know what that will mean...sniff!

[Denise & Hunter!!!]

Hunter & I are sending special prayers out to Squirt! She has such a fantastick support system :-) God Bless!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

As things go this is not the worst problem Squirt could have faced by far although I do wonder why she was small at birth. I am hoping for the best for her. It's really no surprise that you have good friends. And it's so exciting that your daughter will be graduating from vet school. I see a family breeding enterprise in your future : )