BYC Café

[LaFleche]

Ben suffered a ruptured disc in his neck. I had to euthanize him rather suddenly when it was apparent he was in horrible pain and wasn't going to heal.
Dobermans are prone to degenerative disc disease among other hideous ailments. I've lost three of my 6 to dilated cardiomyopathy. Two had sudden death.
For as much as I love the breed, I could do without all the horrible illnesses.

I am very sorry!

The 'Doberman heart' is well known and two Doberman I know succumbed to it while playing, one at the age of 4,5 and the other at 5 years old. Left the owners absolutely devastated as it came out of the blue, the dogs were otherwise totally healthy.

 

[LaFleche]

Wow! What stunners they are!! Beautiful coat color.

They were already quite old when I took this picture, but indeed had a beautiful coat colour when younger.

 

[LaFleche]

Your ben was very handsome! Beautiful head and proportions, seems as if he was intact?

Although I generally do not like the ear and tail mutilations, his ears were done with great skill.

 

[LaFleche]

I am off to the coops now, diving in head first

 

[DobieLover]

I am very sorry!

The 'Doberman heart' is well known and two Doberman I know succumbed to it while playing, one at the age of 4,5 and the other at 5 years old. Left the owners absolutely devastated as it came out of the blue, the dogs were otherwise totally healthy.

The first I lost to it was Dylan. He was diagnosed at 5 yrs old and he died next to "his" dog, Abby, at 6 years old.
Bridget, too, was seemingly totally healthy (other than a bum knee that she tore playing with Ben). She trotted up the stairs one night and plopped down on my feet under the table I was sitting at on the computer... or so I thought. She'd actually collapsed and died on my feet. Her bowels evacuated and that is when I realized she was dead. I screamed out to DH that Bridget was dead and he raced up the stairs and put his hand on her chest and said that her heart was "tripping out". I briefly thought of pounding on her chest to try to revive her.
I told this story to my vet and she then told me a story about a young Doberman who presented with a heart murmur and was sent off to a cardiologist for a heart workup. The dog was completely asymptomatic in behavior. The owner brought the dog in to an appointment to go over the cardiology report and he passed out right there on the floor of the vet office. Doctors and vet techs immediately descended on him and began work to resuscitate him, but to no avail. He was practically dead when he hit the ground.
The vet told me this story to make me realize that there was nothing I could have done to save Bridget and all I would have accomplished was having the last few memories of her where I was beating her poor dead body. I'm glad I didn't do that.

 

[LaFleche]

O dear, how awful to feel so helpless.

Maybe the fact that they usually do not suffer and are dead before hitting the ground will bring some kind of comfort. But I know only too well how it feels to mourn your beloved family dog(s). It does not get easier.

 

[DobieLover]

Your ben was very handsome! Beautiful head and proportions, seems as if he was intact?

Although I generally do not like the ear and tail mutilations, his ears were done with great skill.

I have nothing to do with the ears and tails. I only adopt. I've had 2 natural earred and 4 cropped. All docked.
Ben was neutered. As soon as I got him home from picking him up I scheduled the appointment. No man berries on the dogs permitted in my house! We have a HUGE pet over-population problem in the US. I'll not contribute to it.
And then there's poor Bella. She was used and abused so that her former owner could make her $3,000 a pup off of her. Then a ligament let loose in her uterus on her third caesarian section and the vet said "no more". Suddenly, she didn't want her any more. Claimed she was rehoming her because she fought with her sister. When I met Bella, she had the scars to prove it. I casually mentioned to the woman giving her up "so now you only have her sister?".
No. I 'got rid of her a year ago'... I couldn't get Bella away from her soon enough.
Bella is just amazing. I don't know how she could let her go. Her loss. My gain.

 

[Perris]

king of slobber

that reminds me of the wonderful film 'Turner & Hooch'

 

[sourland]

Good morning Cafe'. Coffee was a bit harsh so I brewed a fresh pot. I'm sort of directionless this morning.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I was fairly directionless yesterday. It rained from before 5am most of the day till about 2 am this morning. Since I could get almost nothing done here I took the opportunity to go down to our 240 year old farmer's market just south of downtown. Open from Wednesday to Saturday, there are always great deals on Saturdays as vendors sell off perishables that won't hold up till they reopen on Wednesday. Good source of fresh food for me but also berries and watermelons for the chickens and cabbages and other greens for them in winter.

Too windy here today with gusts to 45 mph but that is helping to dry things out. I just came in from trying to move a huge limb from in front of the next door neighbor's property that covered half the road but the task would have taken half the day. I'll wait for the police to alert the county highway department.

I started reading a great book called 'Big Chicken' by Maryn Mckenna. It is the story of how antibiotics created modern agriculture and how we got to where we are today and the way most of the world eats.
I better understand why the FDA cracked down on animal meds a few years ago and why it was long overdue.