dont wait too long to have your dog fixed.

[buckpredator]

Well its been two weeks since I lost my black lab, Dakota. The two weeks has been very tough. She was 5 years old with great drive and great personality. She was the first dog that I myself owned and trained. She wasn't perfect, but she was darn good. She would be with me almost everywhere I went, whether it was at work at the golf course, or on the ice with me icefishing. One things for sure I will be missing her this fall in the blind.

Now to the subject point I was planning on breeding Dakota and then having her spayed there after later in the year. My sister who works at the vet clinic Dakota went to, had warned me of the many different diseases and infections becoming more and more common among labs and other dogs who haven't been fixed. Well on one Wednesday I noticed Dakota just seemed odd. While playing with her retrieving and other stuff, I noticed she would stop and just kind of roll into the snow, something that especially while retrieving was very odd. She did that a few times that afternoon and evening other wise she seemed fine. The next mourning I took her for her mourning walk and she tried going number two multiple times with no success, she was however, able to go number one. Immediately I'm thinking she has a blockage. I tried feeding her, she wouldn't eat a thing. So then I took her in to the vet and told them everything that had gone on. They did an exam on her and found no blockages. They did find that she had a high temp and thought it was something related to a bacterial infection type of thing so they gave me some meds to give her. I took her home and the rest of the day she seemed better, she went number two, she was drinking a lot of water which I didn't think too much of and she did eat a little. The next day she seemed to be back to her normal self toward evening she seemed really tired but I was outside much of the day monkeying around and she was right there with me, so I thought heck I'm tired she should be too. That night I woke up and she was almost gone already she looked up at me seemingly saying goodbye and that was it, she died moments later. After crying eyes out for a few days my sister had me bring her in so they could do an autopsy in which they found her uterus had gotten infected and was nearly 4 times the size it should be. The vet suspected it was just too much strain on her body and heart.

Know yourself and your dog folks, if you don't plan on breeding your dogs get them fixed. And if you do plan on breeding, don't wait too long or you might find yourself in a situation like mine, looking for a new hunting buddy for the fall. Thank you for allowing myself to vent.

[drewevans]

I am so sorry too here of your loss! the loss of a pet in any situation is hard especially so sudden and unexpected! i had same plans with my female lab and she has just had her litter less than a week ago and have already scheduled her to be spayed. If you need help finding a new pal for this fall i may be able too help you out. i have several pups left and have a few contacts with other breeders. Again sorry for you loss and good luck with finding a new pal!!

Drew evans

[email protected]

[Ryan_V]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I've buried several buddies in my yard over the last few years, it's very difficult. Hope you are able to remember the good times, although there were too few.

[Rick]

That really burns....sorry to hear about your loss.

A lot of these infections come from grassy awn seeds like Canadian Rye. Normal anti-biotics don't work on it.

It's a lot more prevalent than you might think and is more times than not mis-diagnosed.

[Gordie]

sorry for your loss and thanks for the reminder.

[Bryce]

Sorry for the loss. There is a new study just recently out showing basically an equal list of problems that are inherrant because of the spay/nueter procedure. Proverbial rock and a hard place.

[buckpredator]

Yes I've seen some of those since as well Bryce. It just burnt me the other way cause whenever I seen my sister she would always say " so when are you gonna line up an appointment to get Dakota spayed?"