We adopted two dogs, and now...

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I was raised and currently have indoor dogs but some dogs are very happy outdoors all the time with lots of human interaction. Many people keep dogs indoors when they are home and outdoors when they are gone or at night. As long as the dog is adequately cared for, warm, dry, fed, watered and interacted with on a daily basis it is perfectly okay. Many dogs prefer being outdoors more than indoors. It depends on the breed. But if these dogs are in danger then indoors is best. I hope this puppy pulls through okay.
 
My husband's heart is in the right place. He doesn't want a dog to have to wait to go potty and be uncomfortable, and he doesn't want a dog to feel ashamed and embarrassed if they make a mess in the house. His reasoning is that dogs are (for the most part) built to be outside. I disagree.

We take the dogs for walks twice a day, we play with the puppies, and they get an almost constant supply of food (Jessie is still very thin). They get pets, ear rubs, and treats, but I HATE having them outside. Hopefully this has convinced the husband that in some areas, an outside dog just isn't the best idea.
 
There's some pretty nice Doggy Doors available - insulated, good hardware, etc. Maybe it'd be worth looking into - kinda best of both worlds!
 
Update

My husband talked to the surgeon at the CARE clinic, and he said that there is a place where the skin looks dead, but other than that, the wound needs to be cleaned, kept clean, and sterile. They are going to sedate him a few times to clean the wound, and then they will suture it up and bandage it. He will need frequent bandage changes and antibiotics, but if he pulls through the next few days, he should be fine. He will be living inside with us, and he will be treated like a little prince. We weren't planning on keeping any of the pups, but he is definitely the exception.
 
Oh wow... I hope this pup keeps pulling through!!! I hope this traumatic incident hasn't changed his happy puppy behavior towards anything. Have there been any signs of that yet, aside from the normal pain symptoms? Also, have you been able to figure out what happened/who did this terrible thing?

Sending good vibes your way! You are strong person with a big heart to take in and care for all these animals. :D You go!
 
A bad, tiring weekend

I wanted to update you on Friday, but my husband called around 12:20 to tell me I needed to "come home NOW." My husband never gives me orders, and he never cries - he was doing both. As a teacher, it takes a little bit for me to get a sub, but I was on the road ten minutes later.

My husband stayed home to take care of some things around the house. He went inside for a lunch break, and when he went back outside, the biggest of the pups, Boss Hoss, was laying in the pen, dead. He had no external injuries, just some blood on his mouth and nose. I told my husband to remove all food from the pen and remove all the dogs - my first suspicion was poisoning.

We loaded everyone up and took everyone to the vet. We brought Hoss with us as well, so the vet could maybe tell us what killed him. As it turns out, Hoss was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our male dog, Chase, got excited and when he was jumping around, he landed on Hoss's head, killing him instantly. The vet assured us that even if we had been standing right there, there was nothing we could have done for the little guy. She also told us that this was an accident, and Chase wasn't showing aggression because there was no mauling (like I said, there were no external marks). Everyone else was fine; in fact, the vet said the pups are the size of 8 - 9 week old pups, so they will probably be very big (they will be 5 weeks old on Wednesday), and in addition to that, they are all extremely healthy.

In addition to moving everyone, Chase now has to be separated, which is heartbreaking. He loves Jessie, and he loves those pups. He is so confused as to why he can't be with them anymore, but they still take three mile long walks a day with each other, and we both play with him a lot. My husband won't stop blaming himself; I've never seen him this upset.

I think I gave some of you the wrong impression regarding our other little guy, Bear. He is not home with us. He is staying at a clinic in Cincy, and right now he is under heavy treatment for septic shock. He's so young he's not able to fight off infection. We call every two or three hours (all of the receptionists, nurses, and vets know my voice now), and so far he is still fighting. This morning he even stood up on his own and tried to walk around (the bandages were restricting him, though). He has undergone a full blood transfusion, and he has received two rounds of plasma. Needless to say, in addition to the emotional investment, we are also accruing a very large monetary cost, but it is completely worth it. Even if he doesn't make it, we will know that we did the absolute best we could.

Please keep my little guy and my husband in your prayers.
 
UPDATE:
Some good news: Bear is doing much better. We are still guarded, but he is moving, wiggling, and fighting with the techs who try to hold him, which is much more than he has been doing. He is showing energy we haven't seen since before he got hurt.

The doc has said he is clearing the septic shock, but he is losing a decent amount of skin (they thought most would live, but a lot of it has died). He will have to stay a few more days to get him through the rest of his wound-closing procedure. We are hopeful, but we also know how bad things can get and how quickly they can get there.

Keep the prayers and good thoughts a'comin' for the little Puppy Bear!
 
So sorry to hear about Boss :( What a freak accident. Glad to hear Bear is getting better though. Good luck to the little guy and best wishes with the rest of the litter.
 
I am so sorry to hear of the heartbreak. I hope Bear pulls through. I also wish we had a bigger house then I could convince my hubby to let me have one but our old girl here is more than 1 house can handle. The light brown one reminds me of Princess my german shepard/springer spaniel cross we took in when I was little. Best dog ever in the ewhole world (shhh don't tell caroline I said that LOL)

I am very sorry about Boss, and I pray Bear pulls through and you find out what happened
 
Aw, they're so adorable! I'm really sorry about the one that got sat on, and I hope that baby Bear makes it! My thoughts are with you and your husband!
 
Aww poor puppy.

Do you live in a well populated area? Maybe a neighbor saw something?

Sheesh. I hope he makes it. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you.

That is a very good sign that he is fighting the techs. I'm guessing he's eating now and gaining some of his energy back?
 
oh my :[ i just read through all of the pages on this thread and i just have to say that you are my hero for saving those dogs and the puppies and going through everything as well as you have been.
i love animals and people like you and your husband who try their hardest to save innocent animals :).
keep us updated on everything, and i'm keeping you all in my prayers
 
I hope Bear recovers nicely and no more tragedies happen. You are doing the best you can with those dogs and I wish you the best of luck until they all find new homes. If I didn't already have 3 dogs, I might have thought of taking one.
 
UPDATE:
I spoke with the center this morning, and Bear is holding steady. His BP is at about 100, which is a little low, but better than the 30 or 40 it hit on Saturday. He is still on dopamine, but they have not increased the dosage in a couple of days and his BP has gone up on its own.

He is not eating yet (for a while he didn't have the energy to swallow), but they are feeding him via IV, and his glucose is still very good. He is going to the bathroom, and he is standing and walking on his own. This morning he fought with one of the vet techs while she was trying to do something to him. He apparently is getting a little spunky, which is a very good sign. We are guarded, but we are also hopeful.
 
UPDATE: :)

Bear is doing VERY well. He is eating on his own, and his body has become an "infection fighting machine" according to the surgeon. They are going to try to close up his wound today, and he might be able to come home tomorrow. The vet was shocked that he recovered from sepsis, and he is actually using Bear as an example in a couple of presentations. We went and saw the wound on Saturday (Bear was anesthitized, so we didn't get to see his puppy antics), and I can't believe he has survived. I have pics, but they are probably WAY to upsetting to put on the forum. He lost a lot of skin, let's just leave it at that.

Thank you to everyone who has been supportive and sent good thoughts our way! Everyone else is doing great, and we will be getting the six girls their shots on Saturday! :)
 
I've been following this thread for a while and I'm so happy to hear Bear is pulling through. I really can not believe that happened to him. Poor little guy. I hope he makes a full recovery and this doesn't hinder him with growing.
 
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