Hello! So we are about two weeks out from picking up our Doberman puppy from the breeder. Yesterday, our pup (along with his siblings) had their ears cropped. Procedure went well for all of them according to the breeder. This morning, however, the breeder contacted me to state that our puppy has been acting “droopy and not very active, but still drinking, peeing, and pooping” per the breeder. She also used the words slow, sleepy/sedated. She said she’s taking him to the vet for a check up, but they think it may just be from the pain medication. Of course, I’m concerned about this news. A few questions come to mind, such as...is something wrong with my puppy? Is there more going on? Will he be alright? I tend to overthink often, so that doesn’t help! Anyone have any insight or info? Thanks!
I don't want to scare you but it's possible the puppy was dehydrated (possible kidney failure). There's no way to know from the information you provided but I hope the puppy is okay and I would trust the breeder and vet at this point, going forward. If for some reason the puppy is still ill when you go to pick him up I would refuse to accept him and ask for a different puppy or your money back.
I appreciate your honesty! I am a bit worried what this means long term for the puppy. I’m glad the breeder has been honest, I am concerned we will drive the four hours to pick him up and still come home empty handed.
Are there any specific questions I should be directing towards the breeder that you might suggest? We lost our last Doberman to DCM, so I am of course super concerned even more now regarding kidney failure or other congenital problems. The breeder has been very great with communication, proof of genetic testing on her dogs, etc, but it will be an 8 hour round trip to get him, and I will be extremely disappointed and heartbroken if we arrive to pick him up and he’s unhealthy. We just wish for a healthy Doberman!
No, I think I would just wait until you hear from the breeder. I think the breeder is an honest person just by how he or she is handling the situation in keeping you informed. Just be patient and hope you get an update soon. Puppies are resilient and tend to bounce back quickly even when it is something possibly life threatening.
Was there anything going on with your puppy before ear cropping? Were they the smallest? How did they react to the first set of shots? It could just be that they sedate easier but I would wonder if there are liver issues.
Seems like up until the ear cropping, he was doing well from pictures, videos, and email updates. He appears to be the smallest boy, but not the smallest in the litter, one or two of the females look smaller. The breeder has been wonderful today updating me and answering my questions. She just emailed me back stating that if it isn’t a medication reaction, she’s concerned he may have ingested something he shouldn’t have, like grass or a piece of toy. So she’s having him checked for an obstruction as well. Said he’s eating and drinking, playing some, but just not as energetic as she would like him to be. She also promised either a full refund or a puppy from her next planned litter in 2021 if this little guy is too sick. She’s impressed me with how she’s handling it.
It could be just him getting over the sedation - Kasia was super sensitive to meds - she weighed in at 65 lbs most times and if they gave her meds for a 65 lb dog , it nocked her on her rear end - We had to cut the meds way back . Its a good sign that he's doing his business ok , drinking ok , all good signs to me .
I'm so happy to be a part of this group and even happier that nobody seems to be afraid to speak their mind and tell the truth about some of these mega breeders(puppy mills) because for the novice, this info is critical to finding a good healthy pup.
Here's something to keep in mind for future reference. Dobermans are lightweight's wnen come to some kinds of drugs, Pain killers, sedative and things like that--even things like benedryl or it's generic product (same active product in same dosage with same direction but from a lot of personal experience with drugs commonly used on dogs and years of Dobermans ECIN was right on when he said his Kasia girl was super sensitive to sedation and if given a full normal dose it for a dog her size it knocked her on her butt (Don't tell anyone--his name is really Ken--or Kenny),
Ask the breeder what they used for a post crop pain control. The name of it. There are a couple of common ones that a lot of people had to modify the dosage that was advised. At this point I would not be particularly concerned about the "droopiness and not being very active" As long as he's eating, drinking and pooping and peeing normally having symptoms like that aren't terribly unusual immediately post surgery.
I'd wait to hear what the breeder learned from the vet--I work for a vet clinic and the variation on how anesthesia affects different dog (and different breeds) is pretty amazing. And general anesthesia definitely has an effect--fortunately it's usually short term with no residual effect.
Thank you! You’ve eased my nerves. Breeder said the vet thinks either stomach bug or the Tramadol isn’t agreeing with him. They plan to wean him a little bit earlier than usual from the Tramadol, and also started him on an antibiotic just in case. She said he’s sleeping comfortably at her home now.
A lot of dogs have issues with pain killers. Just like humans.
I found out early on that my youngest (now pushing 6yo) does not respond well to Tram. It knocks him for a loop. Our senior was OK with Tramadol, but could not handle the combination of Tram when prescribed with Gabapentin.
I have had 2 joint replacement surgeries and found out that I cannot deal with the commonly prescribed pain med Oxycontin. Both mentally and physically. I was able to convey this to my orthopedist and physical therapist and we worked around it.
Unfortunately, our dogs don't have that luxury.
In any case... It sounds like you have good communication with the breeder, who seems to be on top of it.
Not the update i want to be giving, but the breeder just notified me that the pup passed away this morning. She’s not sure what happened. She said she will issue a refund. We are so devastated. We have been on this journey for a while now, we were on the wait list before confirmed pregnancy and have followed all the way til now. My kids have been counting down the days. Poor puppy. My heart breaks for him.
She said she’s not quite sure what happened. She fed him breakfast like normal, but when she went to give meds a bit later, he had already passed away.
You got to be chitting me ! This is beyond terrible news ! I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see this kind of post today ! I am so , so sorry for your family and that poor puppy !
RIP Little feller - and if you see a couple of female Dobers chewing on some green balls at the bridge , It's ok to walk up to them - Kasia and Ali will take good care of you . :crying::crying:
I am sorry for your sudden loss. You all have my best wishes.
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