Smudge 9/30/09-10/3/09 “Rest in Peace”

It is with a heavy heart that I have to share that one of the little male puppies, nicknamed “Smudge”, died early Saturday morning. He never quite suckled like his littermates, and although I started supplementing him with milk replacer the very first day, feeding him every two hours, he still never gained strength or improved. He hung on a few days, but eventually faded away. As he became more and more listless, Abby kept bringing him ever closer under her to warm him and protect him. She never pushed him away. It is a sad fact, that early puppy mortality can be quite high. I suspect that little Smudge (named for the bit of dark coloring on his upper left lip) was somehow afflicted with some sort of a developmental problem. He was kept warm, hydrated and fed and yet it was not enough. He will be buried with the sister littermate that did not survive whelping and c-section.