Puppy pondering
Sully is alive and well.
Sometimes TOO alive... but that's just cuz the poor guy is cooped up during the day... and boy does he ever run loose when I get home.
It's actually kind of funny to watch him run into things... very much like that toilet paper commercial.
But unlike Sully, some of his former pen-mates at Snookums pets... weren't so lucky.
I don't know what to think about this. Honestly, my first emotion was sympathy. The guy who owns/runs the shop (Bud Wheatley) is probably the most involved pet store owner I think I have ever... or will ever... meet. He got Sully up to me safe and sound, and insisted that I call him when I got my puppy... even though that was going to be after midnight, PEI time.
He refused to ship a puppy up to the north ... that he didn' t think could make it... that means it had to be over a certain weight... and he quickly discouraged me from considering getting a Yorkie ... because it would just be too small, and lacks an undercoat.
He consulted with a vet in town to make sure a corgi would be "comfortable" in the north... and made all the flight arrangements for me.
The store called me several times in the first week I had Sully... and when I was scared about some of his "droppings" they calmed my fears.
But the thing I WAS TOLD, many times over, and what makes me wonder about some of these puppy deaths... was to NOT FEED HIM ANYTHING EXCEPT THE FOOD HE CAME WITH. No rawhide bones, no treats. And to give him half a pill (some sort of medicine they developed with the vet....) every day till they were done. Come to think about it, I now think the pills were for parvovirus... which they explained to me even before I paid for Sully, and they sent him on his way.
And I got him right around the same time these people did.
Now, I don't know anything about dogs. I don't know anything about the people who lost their pets, and I'm sorry they did. But I can't help but sit here and wonder... if my puppy survived shipping up to the north, being cooped up in a travel crate for a horribly long time ... and unexpected plane delays... maybe it wasn't the puppy.
I'm just putting it out there.
12 comments:
What a sad story. But you're right, if your puppy was from the same litter, and you followed all the instructions they gave you AND he survived the trip up here..... hmmm. Makes you wonder.
An interesting comment from my mom:
I think you were just lucky. or he was just extra careful because of the CBC connection ; he doesn't need any more bad press
Lol,
I, Jackie, pledge to use my powers of intimidation bequeathed upon me by the CBC, for good... and not evil.
And for the betterment of all puppy-kind
Well first of all I am very glad Sully is ok. But I don't think it's normal for all puppies to start off with parovirus meds. It sounds to me like he knew he had a problem and was trying to put all his puppies on the medication. You probably just followed the instructions like a good pet owner and gave Sully all his medication. But I also don't think that 4 separate deaths can all be related to owner neglect. They were also from different litters.
Everytime I have had a puppy in the past, I have always been told to keep it away from other dogs until a certain age, because they can pick up certain illnesses, perhaps this is what happened along with them not giving them their meds?
Anyways sounds like you are doing an awesome job and are taking good care of your little man!
Jackie,
I checked with my vet friend, she said just to be safe, when the vet is in take sully for a check up.
Parovirus is bad news for puppies, Sully was probably only on those pills because they had a problem at the store. And the vet friend said it's common for that virus to be at pet stores.
Jen:
Yah, the vet thing was the plan anyways... just to be safe, but in light of the recent events, is a sure thing.
Thanks!
I've had a terrible experience with Snookums as well. I bought a shih-tzu/lhaza mix there five years ago, and our vet told us he had been drugged at Snookums in order to keep him quiet. The poor little guy is tiny because he doesn't eat much, which we assume is because he was drugged as a puppy and couldn't eat.
The place needs to be thoroughly inspected and shut down if it's deemed unworthy of selling healthy, happy pets and keeping them in clean, cozy conditions.
Hey Jackie -
Parvovirus IS a very serious viral disease that is devastating to puppies. Unfortunately the puppies that dies from Snookums did have Parvo, but I'm very glad to hear that Sully (by the way he absolutely adorable)is doing well.
Puppies either get parvo from the mother as they develop or via ingestion of fecal matter (yum). Considering that Sully hasn't shown any sings then he must have gotten some immunity from his mother! I bet he's a good eater - they get this "acquired immunity" from drinking their mother's milk.
Dogs usually need annual boosters of Parvo vaccine, but usually only in areas that the disease is habitually found - I have no idea if this includes the North!
Anyway - sounds like you're taking really good care of him and he looks beautiful! Hope I didn't sound too much like a virology text book! I just wrote my virology final today HAHAH
PS Do you remember the name of the medication he was put on? Your vet will likely want to know this.
PPS This is Catherine by the way
:D
Jackie,please see the inside of your health record that came with your puppy regarding the "health pack" and if you need further info regarding it then please call me on any of my several numbers you were provided with,as well,when you received your puppy. You might wish to post this "health pack" info onto your site to better inform your readers.........p.s.--all our puppies receive the exact same treatment when sold--and I don't wish to suggest that you are not special but i did not do anything special for you that i and our company doesn't do for all our customers.....Thanx for the opportunity to clarify this matter and regards to you and yours for the holiday season.Bud Wheatley
Hey BUD..Your back in the news..Facebook has a site with not such lucky stories as you have.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=20920722424
Please everyone, help shut this place down. Thes animals deserve better....
I do see some that got lucky, but more that didn't
I think if you are gonna hate on someone and pass judgements here for everyone to see about a specific person. Than you better write your own name on here. your a coward. if you have something bad to say about a business... know your facts or shut your mouth.
and no this isnt bud, this is a business owner in the maratimes
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