Success Stories 2          

Suki and the puppies

Click here for the picture gallery of Suki and puppies

Welfare had a telephone call late one night to assist to catch a Rottie who was very thin,  so thin and starving in fact that her tummy was extended.  We asked one of our Reps who was fairly near at hand to go and see what he could do. After many hours of gaining her confidence he managed to put her in his car and took her home for the night.

The next morning one of our other helpers transported her to the kennels where on closer examination it became clear she was very pregnant.  She was then given the very best food and supplements to help her and that of the unborn puppies.  It was obvious that these puppies would be due very soon, so it was a time of trying to gain her confidence and trust so that she would accept help if she needed it.  A week later she gave birth to 12 (Yes! Twelve) puppies.   She was still very nervous and it also seemed she had really bad eyes so she was just observed and left well alone  .Slowly she started to trust those who owned the kennels and was pleased to have the help with her puppies. Her diet was slightly changed to enable her to have the perfect food to make sure the puppies didn’t take all her energy .  As the kennel owners had for many years bred ‘Rotties’ they knew exactly how to look after her and the pups.  Alas after a couple of days two of the puppies died, they were the smallest and ‘Mum’ seemed to know they would not survive, so this left her with 6 bitches and 4 dogs.

After a couple of days it was clear that her eyes were very bad indeed, she could hardly open them and water poured from them constantly. She would need to see a vet as soon as possible. In the meantime her eyes were bathed by using a clean jumper which was being worn by one of the carers and the long sleeves were soaked in saline so she wouldn’t realise her eyes were being cared for when you stroked the top of her head.  This was the only part she would then let you touch.

The decision was made when the puppies were 2 weeks old that we would as soon as they were old enough to be weaned split the litter and leave her with 4. This would make it easier on her and also allow eye drops to be put in her eyes 4 times each day until she saw the vet.  She was subsequently diagnosed with entropion which was so bad that the eyelids top and bottom had to be operated on and this was done on the same day that the vet examined her.

Chris and I took 6 of the puppies at 4 weeks of age and the remaining 4 stayed with Anne, her husband and daughter and of course their Mum who was devoted to her ‘puppies’.  They had to be away from her for a few days until her eyes had settled down – but what a change once she could see clearly and the pain was gone.  She still had drops instilled as the eyes had ulcerated in places. She was now a different little bitch who could see and slowly started to come out of her shell. She started to make friends with visitors and has shown that she is totally happy with other dogs not just the males but also other bitches, she is  a true star.

 Suki’s puppies grew as all puppies do very quickly, especially quickly as they were given the best of the best.  They are solid boned, very sturdy and full of life and fun. Its very strange how your feelings towards Welfare ‘Babe’s’ makes you need to give them the very best start in life, even more so than when you have litters of your own.

This story has had a very happy ending as all the puppies have now gone to fantastic homes, all the new owners have owned Rottweilers before and are prepared to put all the time and energy into them to make them the perfect Rotties every owned.  Suki has also recovered from her eye operation and is now a totally different dog and a suitable home has been found for her which she is loving very much and her new name is Kiera. 

 I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the well being of Suki and the puppies.  Without you especially Anne, husband and daughter things may have turned out very different for this wonderful young bitch.  -  Thank you from Welfare –    Annie, Rehoming Co-ordinator