Surprise Litters Seem To Be Our Thing!

After driving 309 miles round trip, we rescued a french bulldog who was pregnant, or so we were told.  She was going to be sold to another breeder before we intervened.  This little girl was not yet 2 years old and already on her 3rd litter.  She had never been a pet and was utterly terrified of humans.  Fortunately, my giant 6'4" son is a dog whisperer.  After 20 minutes of failing to lure her from my car, I used my secret weapon.  In minutes, Robbie had her cradled in his arms like a baby.  I've seen Robbie's magic before, but it still mesmerizes me.

We named the rescue "Sookie" and noticed how happy she was around the other dogs.  Between Robbie, her tennis ball, and the other dogs, she willingly let her guard down bit by bit, day by day.  After almost two weeks, I felt it was safe enough to take her to the vet (as long as Robbie was in tow).  Our vet examined her and found her to be healthy, in need of an ear cleaning, dental surgery, and tender loving care.  But, no, he didn't think an x-ray was necessary as she didn't seem to be pregnant whatsoever, especially given the date of when she was tied (mated by the previous owner).

We were happy for Sookie's sake that she was not pregnant.  We would need to raise the money for her surgeries, but we could begin rehabilitating her for her future forever family.

Fast forward nearly two weeks, when Robbie tapped my shoulder in the middle of the night saying, "Mom, I'm sorry to wake you, but...Sookie had a puppy!"  I was so perplexed.  But there was no doubt.  The little girl was in labor and not finished.  I stayed up with her the rest of the night. Two more puppies were born.  Sookie was never in distress and did a good job of cleaning the babies.  I was proud of her and praised her for her hard work.  I was also thankful the puppies could pay for Sookie's surgeries, and we wouldn't have to raise money.

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The puppies were so different than my previous litter of four fawn colored pups.  These puppies looked like tiny little black and white cows.  There were eating voraciously and each seemed to be thriving.  The miracle of birth always makes me happy. 

The pups are three weeks now.  Eyes and ears are open and they are getting closer to walking.  They like to bite on each other's ears and tug.  They make lots of squeals and are getting used to having their nails filed.  They are growing very fast, and I suspect Sookie's milk supply gets the credit.  We have started to wean them so that Sookie can get the surgeries she needs as soon as possible.

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It may be too late to do much for the hematoma on Sookie's ear. It developed a few days before she gave birth. Apparently, the puppies weren't the only thing the vet missed on our visit. Sookie had bacterial ear infection. She developed the hematoma from shaking her head. We took her to two different vets to be sure there was nothing that could be done for the hematoma while she was nursing. So, we started her on ear drops to kill the infection. However, the hematoma would likely begin to "caulifower" like a boxers ears, before she would be ready to have surgery. This would result in the ear drooping.

Everytime I get sad thinking one of her ears might not stand up as before, Robbie reminds me that it is just cosmetic and not life threatening. She is healthy and happy and that is what matters. He is right. And the perfect person will love her with or without her ear standing up. If you know someone who might be looking for a young french bull dog, please refer them to our application. Sookie will be 2 in December. She is current on all vaccines, taking flea/worm preventative meds, soon to be spayed, and soon to have her dental issues resolved. She will be a real treasure to the right person or family. 🐾🖤