Sylvia's Diary 13-09-24

Why cant dramas happen all on the same day, so I have some warning then I could get up earlier and try to be stronger? Instead, they happen when you're unprepared and your heads already in a muddle. Lots of staff off poorly all week, especially today. Bill and I got up at 5am, fed dogs and pups and got the feed room ready for the staff.  We went to the barn to move things (neither of us should be lifting) but it could not wait.  Got back to instruct the equine team where to move the donkeys to and what feed to give them as they were being castrated that morning.  Then an early adopter came, her dog was taken to her…… and then everything went wrong.

A poor cockapoo who came to us already pregnant and we were told by a vet would give birth in a week, was so stressed when her kennel friends was adopted that she gave  birth to a puppy. The pup appeared to be premature and she would not look at it or go near it. Although the poor little thing probably won’t survive, I will do my best and am tube feeding him colostrum and saying a prayer.  However, in between this, various other problems were unfolding and all this before 10am....EXHAUSTING !!!!!

By 12 noon, four pups had come but only three of them did the mummy cockapoo accept, so now there were two pups to tube feed.

Come 2pm a Golden Retriever was quiet, lethargic and looking unwell. I took her temperature and monitored her respiration and heart rate. I had no vet here but felt something  was very wrong.  I called around to find a vet and while waiting scanned her. Everything was very still inside her and I could see an irregular dark mass I could not identify. Tom the local vet answered my call, and after an hour Summertime was in his expert hands.  Tom decided he had no choice but to open her up. He found she had eaten bedding or something possibly long before arriving with us but we could not be sure.  He took her small intestines out of her body and after four separate individual incisions, cutting one then closing, then another and another, each time changing his gloves, the drapes and being so so careful, he then opened her belly.  From these four sites over about two feet of matter (faecal matter and towel-like, stringy, intertwined bits) were removed. Tom put the intestines back and closed her. He then recovered her and I cleaned up. This all took around 5 hours and both Tom and I were exhausted. I got up in the night to monitor her.

Chelsea took the hand raisers to tube feed and we all prayed. All night I thought about the bedding and the bored and stressed dogs who could eat it. The ones we won't give bedding to as we have seen them eat it. I thought maybe we should get a load of raised beds for them all especially for those who can chew bedding, but then I looked at the cost of raised dog beds and it would be a huge feat to get all the dogs these raised, comfortable beds but we have them on our Wish List and we hope some will be donated.

Update - Only one of the little hand raisers has survived so far, but the mummy is still raising three successfully at this time.  

Three days passed and Summertime the retriever picked up a little and our vet Frank and the nurses stayed in touch with Tom, discussing her care. Today she is not doing well. Tom came to visit her and Frank and him talked over her case, she is surrounded by those who deeply care, and professionals with knowledge and deep love and passion for their job.  We are doing all we can and now all that’s left is for us all to pray. Last night I had to give meds and she picked up again, so slowly I am more hopeful. The sweet beagle pups in foster with a family will undoubtedly be the best socialised pups in the land!

We are still busy as ever and all of us are so tired. I hope this gives you an insight in what it is really like running a rescue.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sylvia