Puppy Sitting
Sunday September 10-
I picked up Moe the little lab/pit mix puppy from the shelter this evening. His neuter was postponed last week and has been resceduled for tomorrow. Since the shelter is fairly crowded, it's easier to keep him here, and make sure he doesn't have anything to eat after 7PM tonight in preparation for his surgery.
Moe was born with genitals not formed quite right. It seems to be strictly cosmetic and everything looks a little funny but seems to be in working order. It's nice his adoptive family has accepted him and his being a "little different." He is sure a sweet guy.
He is not happy staying behind the Xpen I have set up for him in the front hall. He want's to be out and up close with everyone particularly me and my mini-schnauzer Snickers. The other 2 dogs rush him and want to make sure he knows who is boss. He just does some submissive licking and rolls over on his back. He continues to invite each dog to play even though my Sophie continues to give him a hard time.
All was well until it was time to go to bed. He was NOT HAPPY at all at having to be in his crate and whined and cried. He eventually settled down, but every few hours during the night he would wake up and cry. His adopting family is going to have fun. It will be like having a new baby in the house.
Monday September 11-
After a moment of silence in memory of 9/11, I delivered Moe to Olde Towne Veterinary Hospital. The staff there all thought Moe was just the cutest. He lay quietly on my lap while waiting to be checked in. Since his adopting mom couldn't get to the vet before they closed, I agreed to pick him up after his surgery, bring him back to my house and she would pick him up there and we would finalize all the adoption arrangements.
At 1:30pm I got a call from the vet. In checking him over she discovered he had a heart murmer. She had thought she heard an intermittent one when she first examined him the week before, but now it was very obvious and she was very concerned about how this would affect his over all health as he grew and developed. It was urgent I contact his adopting family and let them know about his condition. The vet and I discussed the options, the obvious was one neither of us wanted to face. If little Moe has two congential defects, what are the possiblities that he might have more?
I reached the adoptive family and they were not in a position to take a potentially ill puppy into their family, the vet and I reluctantly agreed that the best decision for this little guy was euthanasia. This is the hard part of this work--letting go of the ones when you've become attached. Little Moe would love to lie quietly at my feet while I worked at the computer. Looking back I think he was such an easy going guy because his little heart wasn't pumping quite right.
His two sisters were adopted and now in their new forever homes. I will remember this one for a long time.
Betsie