A five-pound toy poodle already doesn’t have much weight margin if it stops eating, especially a five-pound toy poodle that is ready to give birth.
“A bigger dog can handle more days of not eating, a smaller dog will be in trouble faster,” said Julie Cecere, clinical associate professor of theriogenology – animal reproductive science – at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.
Jennifer Anders of Wytheville noticed in the pre-dawn hours earlier this summer that her toy poodle Senna was suddenly deteriorating with gastrointestinal issues, low blood sugar, and dehydration as she approached her delivery date.
“I called Virginia Tech to bring them here, because I knew that if anybody could take care of them, you guys could,” Anders said.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital, located at the veterinary college on Virginia Tech’s main campus in Blacksburg, took Senna in and put her in intensive care for 48 hours.
While the puppies’ heartbeats were readily detected and appeared healthy, the mother was struggling and needed immediate help.
“What I teach students and tell the owners is that you’ve got to take care of the vessel before you worry about the cargo,” Cecere said.
The theriogenology team and intensive care staff were able to get Senna the nutrients she needed plus stop her diarrhea and vomiting. She was then able to deliver four healthy puppies, all naturally.
“Thanks to Dr. Cecere and her team I have a healthy mama at home and four beautiful babies,” Anders said.
“As soon as all her babies were out, she turned the corner, and started taking care of her babies and eating on her own and just doing a great job, so we sent her home on the third day,” Cecere said.
There was some concern that the smallest puppy might not make it through, but “she’s been the sassiest one,” Cecere said.
The Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Blacksburg provides primary, specialty, and emergency patient care to small animal clients within a 35-mile radius of Blacksburg and referral service to practitioners in the region.
The teaching hospital has two board-certified reproductive specialists and the facilities for 24-hour, 7-day-a-week care of difficult cases such as Senna’s. A planned expansion and renovation, partially supported by donors’ gifts, will enable the hospital to modernize and grow its services in the next few years.
“This is a great story of a good, dedicated owner who recognized that there was a problem, and then getting them here, and we just helped the process along a little,” Cecere said.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic with the team and everything they’ve done,” Anders said. “If I hadn’t come here, I thoroughly believe I would have lost the mama and possibly her babies too.”
Andrew Mann for Virginia Tech
