Viewer
Viewpoint
And
now, a few words from our viewers...
Boomerang - A Miracle Trilogy
The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier
by Arlene Millman
Learn more about this bookFrom the author:
Here is the background story on the true events leading up to the birth of Boomerang, and how my book, BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY, came to be written. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction. Hope the readers of Viewer Viewpoint find it beneficial and inspiring.My Boston Terrier, Crystal, was four years old, and very pregnant by her suitor Burt. It was early Friday morning, and the July day already promised to be hot and steamy. I had been up with Crystal most of the night, since she was panting and restless, apparently going into premature labor. I say premature, because the gestation period for canines is normally sixty to sixty-three days. At least that is what all the whelping books say. However, Crystal had not read the manuals, and she was only at day fifty-eight, assuming I had calculated correctly. Her previous pregnancy three years earlier, also sired by Burt, had gone relatively smoothly, and she had produced an adorable little female Boston Terrier named Penelope. Was it too much to ask for the second time around to be just as uneventful?
By eight o'clock that morning, I made the decision to stay home from work, so I could keep Crystal under close supervision, and be available to take her to the vet, if necessary. By late morning, after her panting and restlessness had escalated, and after making several phone calls to my local vet for advice and moral support, it was decided I should bring her to the animal hospital for evaluation. Needless to say, by then, I was quite frantic. If she was determined to give birth that day, the prognosis for her offspring was not promising. Usually puppies born earlier than day sixty were not sufficiently developed to survive on their own.
It felt as if I "flew" to the hospital in record time, and the receptionist rushed us into the exam room. Crystal's water had broken during the car ride, and my fear level was escalating to new heights. The vet x-rayed her, and informed me there was a puppy stuck midway in the birth canal, blocking the other pups that were trapped in the uterine horns. If we didn't do an immediate c-section, the pup would surely suffer from irreversible brain damage, if it survived. Crystal's life was also in great danger. The placenta had separated from the uterine wall, and she was bleeding profusely. The technician ushered me back into the waiting area, and time seemed to stand still. The staff encouraged me to go home, and promised to call me with any news. But, I stubbornly refused, and insisted on staying. I cried and paced and cried some more. I prayed for a miracle. Please, please, let Crystal be alright, and let her pups survive!
After what seemed like an eternity, the vet came out, sweat dripping down his brow, his expression grim and inscruitable. He informed me that Crystal was in recovery, and still very groggy from the anesthesia. But, in his opinion, she was finally out of danger. And, if all went well, I could take her home the following day. As for the single surviving pup from the litter, he was on oxygen, in an incubator, fighting for his life. They were trying their best to save him, but his body temperature was sub-normal (he was suffering from severe hypothermia), and they suspected insufficient lung development. He was very tiny, and didn't have the sucking reflex, so they had to tube feed him every two hours. I was warned he may not make it through the first twenty-four hours, which were the most crucial. Even if he did, his prognosis was questionable. Exhaustion had taken its toll on me, and I couldn't think clearly. I tried to hope for the best, but dreaded what tomorrow would bring.
Back to Viewer Viewpoint Table of Contents
Do you have something to say to the VetMed viewers?
Click here to read the User Agreement and
submit your work!NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in the Viewer Viewpoint
are not necessarily your Guide's views and opinions.
Previous Features - Check out other articles from your Guide
Veterinary Medicine Home Page - Main page for VetMed at About.com
Library of Topics - Browse the site library of topics
