Shamrock “Smokey” was the name of our first Labrador Retriever puppy. It didn’t take us long to realize that something wasn’t right. Smokey wasn’t acting like a normal puppy. He was terrified of eating. He seldom played and choose to sleep most of the time. He had trouble swallowing, so I fed him baby food, which I squirted down his throat with a large syringe. We took him to the Vet who said he was a great puppy and we should count our blessings. We contacted the breeder who indicated that none of the other owners were experiencing problems. A week later, he called back and asked me to call the owner of another puppy in the litter. Turns out their puppy (Astro) was experiencing similar problems, but was having even more difficulties. Neither pup had any endurance. I could walk Smokey across the street, but had to carry him back…he just couldn’t make it. Astro could be running across the yard or room and his front legs would just give out and he’s skid to a stop on his chest and chin. It was very difficult to watch. There were 11 puppies in the litter. I was able to locate the 9 of the owners and 4 of the 9 puppies were experiencing difficulties and the other 5 were doing great. We took Smokey to Veterinary Specialists here in Kansas City. One surgeon said Smokey required surgery that would consist of breaking his hips in 3 places…ummm….I don’t think so. We continued our research and found a book on Veterinary Medicine in Sam’s Club. Our research led us to an entry titled Genetic Labrador Myopathy. Genetic Labrador Myopathy is a very rare inherited disease causing muscle weakness because of a deficiency of Type II muscle fiber. Our boy had special needs. We didn’t take a day of vacation for 8 ½ years. During those years we had hand-fed Smokey twice a day. I always wanted more for him. I wanted him to be able to run and play like other dogs and to swim like most Labs love to do. In the end Smokey did what he was capable of doing and did it to the best of his ability. We were able to build his endurance up so he could walk over 2 miles. Exercise, excitement, or cold temperatures were supposed to be his biggest enemies, but he thrived in the coldest of temperatures. Shamrock Smokey was born on St. Patrick’s Day. He didn’t get the luck of the Irish, but WE DID. I wouldn’t change those 8 ½ years for anything. He was an incredible young man. Smokey died from complications of K9 Cancer. Genetic Labrador Myopathy is now referred to as MD, Muscular Dystrophy. Raising Smokey was one of our most rewarding experiences.
Posted on: Sun, 18 Aug 2013 20:00:44 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015