Starving Mama Dog And Her Malnourished Newborns Saved Just In Time
Rocky Kanaka
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Hey Dog Lovers,
Rocky here. I came across a story today that I wanted to share because it shows why timing is so critical when it comes to animal rescue.
Last year, an abandoned female dog was found on the streets after she had just given birth to a litter of six. The mama dog was malnourished and utterly exhausted after labor, leaving her too weak to care for her new babies.
Fortunately, she was quickly discovered by a group of experienced dog handlers, but she and the newborns had gone without food and water for a prolonged period of time and the window to save them was closing rapidly.
As I said earlier, timing is critical in animal rescue, especially when it comes to newborns. The first few weeks of a puppy’s life are crucial to their survival and proper nutrition is essential to their well-being and growth. Puppies that young generally need to feed every four hours.
Sadly, two of those puppies had already died by the time help arrived. The rescuers were going to make sure the others avoided that tragic fate.
Poor Mom Doesn’t Trust Her Rescuers
Gathering the dogs proved difficult, with the scared, worn-down mother dog showing signs of aggression towards rescuers. They figured she was abandoned a while ago. She still had her collar, but her health and temperament suggested she had been living on the streets for quite some time.
Abandoned dogs often develop fear, aggression, and anxiety for somewhat obvious reasons. Her trauma and distrust of strangers caused her to snap at the rescuers as they worked to collect the pups. Eventually, though, they got the whole family off the street.
Of course, this is just step one of the process. Rescue goes beyond simply removing the dog from a bad situation. Its about healing and rehabilitation as well, and these dogs were still in critical condition.
A Hungry Family Eats Again
Once the rescue provided the mama dog with some proper nutrition and water, she regained her strength. She was then able to feed her puppies the milk they desperately needed. For the first four weeks, their mother’s milk is the only nutrition puppies receive.
With enough food to fill their bellies, the pups, previously unable to fend for themselves at all, eventually grew bigger. They opened their eyes for the first time soon after. Mama dog remained “skittish,” but felt much better with food of her own to eat.
If rescuers had arrived even a little bit later, it’s likely that many of the puppies wouldn’t have survived. It’s why timing is so important. These puppies pulled through because the rescuers acted quickly and without hesitation.
Watch the video story of this family’s rescue and their transformation from Pet Adoption’s YouTube channel below:
Image & Video Source: YouTube
I’ll also leave you with this: It goes without saying that these puppies are all little miracles, but it’s worth noting that spaying and neutering your dogs helps control the pet population and prevent more precarious situations like this one.
