I do need your help

[Keeroff]

Pedromramos, as you can see from all the passionate responses breeding is taken very seriously on this web site. With all the careless breeding happening here in North America due to back yard breeders the boxer as a breed has suffered tremendously. Without trying to sound patronizing, please take a second to think about why you would like a puppy from your girl. The only ethical reason to breed is to BETTER THE BOXER BREED, plain & simple. Any other reason is simply not acceptable.

You have two very beautiful pups. If you spayed your girl now, you can still use the wealth of information on this web site to become a future breeder of spectacular boxers. It is an idea I myself have been tossing around.

Everyone here LOVES the boxer breed and we tend to react very strongly, but it is out of love. Good Luck with your decision.

Dora

i couldnt agree more
when it comes to a living creature who cant speak and cannot decide about her own health and YOU are her voice, you have the responsability to put HER first. her health is above ALL! my sister keeps telling me "oh no dont neuter Keeroff! i want to have one of his sons in the future. dont neuter him!" ........ oh come on.......... i think it is silly. dogs' life is so sorter than they deserve. why should we risk it like that??????? ok, you would like to have one of her babies.......... what about the other puppies? what about the medical problems inherited? what about the risk of the pregnancy? i see you were insulted by some other replies, but, have you understood EXACTLY what was their point? DONT RISK HER LIFE. im sure you dont want to risk it, but i see you dont take this matter as seriously as you should.
oh, just another suggestion................... please find another better vet. i have already changed 5 vets, just for reasons much simplier than your girl's case. but if i were in your shoes i would have changed 10000000000000 vets since your girl has been through all this. give it a second thought, dont breed her just to keep one of her babies.

 

[Irinikm]

We would all like a puppy from our dogs, or even better we would like to have our own dog over and over again during our lifetime.

Even one of her puppies, will not be the same as her, don't be fooled, if you were in a room with 5 puppies and one of them was hers you wouldn't be able to tell which is which!!!

just because you breed your dog doesn't mean that you'll end up with a replica of one of the parents! And what will happen to the puppies you won't keep? who will be willing to take them, without proper papers, without knowing the background and problems of BOTH parents?

They will end up in a shelter most probably. Breeding isn't a way to replicate your dog, and it involves lots of cost and dangers and unless you have checked health issues going back to at least 3-4 generations you cannot have the slightest clue of what defects will be passed on even if your own dog is healthy!

Many problems skip a generations and become evident in the next, same as humans. I have often looked at Martin and hoped that i will get one of his "sons" and have his offspring when it's time for him to go to the bridge, but this is human ego, not reason. There are douzens of pupps abandoned in shelters looking to be loved and cared for, and although they may not be your own dog's offspring, this doesn't mean they don't deserve lots of love and attention.

Ultimately, it's your own decision, and your responsibility, and the people here aren't suggesting otherwise. Just think it over before you go through with it.

best
Irene, Martin, Boulou...

 

[LilygirlCO]

Is she feeling better?

Pedroramos,

How is your little girl doing now? Is she getting better still? I hope she is!

 

[presley101]

I just lost a little girl to Renal Disease in June. She was only 10 months old and her levels were all messed up too. She looked good except for the need to be attached to the water bowl and the effect it had on her. I agree that sometimes it can be genetic, but it also can be something that is spontaneous. It's like having a child born with an imperfection that can't be detected until later. You just have to love them and know your boxer. Look for signs that they are telling you they don;t feel well. Sounds like you've done lots to try and help her. I hope that you find an answer soon and your baby is healthy again.

 

[pedromramos]

Yes, she is

Pedroramos,

How is your little girl doing now? Is she getting better still? I hope she is!

She has been doing blood tests for every 2 to 3 weeks and her levels are fully normal, now.

She is also back to being a very active dog, she's eating well, drinking normally and behaving normally, for a boxer.

Thank's for your support.

 

[pedromramos]

I am sorry for your loss

I just lost a little girl to Renal Disease in June. She was only 10 months old and her levels were all messed up too. She looked good except for the need to be attached to the water bowl and the effect it had on her. I agree that sometimes it can be genetic, but it also can be something that is spontaneous. It's like having a child born with an imperfection that can't be detected until later. You just have to love them and know your boxer. Look for signs that they are telling you they don;t feel well. Sounds like you've done lots to try and help her. I hope that you find an answer soon and your baby is healthy again.

Since I've been around dogs all my life, I've lost a few, but it's something we just don't get used to. I imagine you had a hard time.

This time, fortunatelly, it seems my girl pulled through, but we are always on the lookout.

 

[pedromramos]

Never

...

They will end up in a shelter most probably...

Irene, Martin, Boulou...

I've gotten my older girl to prevent her from going to the shelter, since her owner could no longer keep her.

I don't believe a dog is something you can discard if they don't turn out exactly the way you want and, as long as I can help it, I will never abandon any of mine.

Even when I went to work in Athens, some years ago, for some months, I took the one I had at the time with me, and ended up bringing back one more, which I got from friends there.

I believe that once you decide to get a dog, he or she is your responsaility for life, same as if you decide to have a child.

 

[pedromramos]

Never meant to

pedromramos -

I also ask you to please read the Rules (which you agreed to when joining). Specifically, the following discussion is forbidden:



More information on health tests can be found at www.boxerworld.com/health_testing. I understand you have genuine health concerns and questions, but if you are intent on breeding your female in an irresponsible fashion, you certainly cannot discuss it here on this site. Breeding your female to have and keep one of her puppies falls under the irresponsible category, I'm afraid. One question you should be asking yourself is: Am I prepared to lose my female in childbirth, all for my desire of having a puppy from her? It's a very real risk, I'm afraid -- and one that certainly should not be overlooked.

I never meant to discuss breeding. It all started from asking advice on what the vet had said, as you can check.

Suddenly, it seemed I has some kind of cruel, evil and greedy man that wanted to live at the expense of her offspring, regardless of anything else.

Whatever discussion about breeding I did, was only to try to get accross that I was not that person.

Sorry for breaking the rules, anyway. Hope it won't happen again.

 

[daziegirl4]

Has the vet checked her for pyometra? If not, I'd suggest a very quick trip back there to check it out/rule it out. Pyometra is a potentially fatal infection of the uterus and is a risk following every heat cycle. From your description, the timing is about perfect for that to be the cause. Is she drinking and urinating a lot?

Pyometra does not always have obvious external signs, such as a vaginal discharge. It will show elevated white blood cell count in a blood test. Pyometra will, however, end in renal failure and the death of the dog if not treated quickly. Treatment must include antibiotics and ovariohysterectomy (spay).

Here is a short article on pyometra: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1629&articleid=918

That article was very informative. I wish ALL vets would STRESS the importance of having your female spayed around 6 months!!!! It's a shame that not all of them relay this to you :( Sydney has just turned one and she has an appointment to be spayed the first week in Jan....I had no idea it was so important to her health!!

That's exactly why this website is so great - educating those of us that don't know everything about everything.....after reading these replies, sometimes a little bit of graciousness in our advice goes a long way. Just a suggestion

 

[KMB's BabyB]

Hope she is well and some thoughts...

I am glad to hear that your baby girl is feeling better. I too had entertained thoughts of breeding my girl and keeping a babe then spaying. I did a lot of research and discovered that for the price of testing, breeding and responsibley finding homes for Freya's babies I could buy a very nice puppy that actually could be bred later in life and produce babies worthy to further the boxer breed. I adore Freya and were an accident to happen(God forbid) I would keep a puppy, but she really isn't up to ideal boxer standard. Not only do you have to consider the tests that must be done but if your boxer is like mine and has some defaults, one wonders at the quality of stud you could find. I believe that given my dogs defaults I would have to settle for a less than perfect mate for my girl. With any animal you are breeding you should attempt to find a stud that will "correct" your animals faults and improve the offspring of the cross. Would you be able to find such a stud? And, if indeed it was a hormonal swing that caused her renal failure last time, pregnancy is all about the hormone fluctuations, I caution you to consider that. If I were you, and I have thought about this, I would consider purchasing for the price you were prepared to spend on her pregnancy, a lovely puppy, maybe even of the same line. I am sure that you would agree that any smooshy face that comes through your door, would be loved, whether from your current girl or another home. I don't want you to veiw this as an attack because like I said, I have thought long an hard about this and even purchased my girl in part with some idea that I would breed her once in the future. It was not without great deliberation and research that I came to the decision to spay her. And I don't have health issues(that I know of to consider) and I have been told that she is beautiful and I have been assured by friends and family that everyone of her puppies would find a good home with them,etc....
Enough said. It is your decision and I am glad that your girl is better and I hope this was a one time occerance and that you never risk losing your baby like that again. I also hope you know that if it seems like people here get thier hackles raised(pun intended) about breeding it is more about a deep love of boxers and all that the breed means than it is personal. We all(I am sure you included) adore our babies and are pained to see them in pet stores or shelters because of the over breeding, somettimes done inadvertantly by "love-my-boxer-so-much-I-want-one-baby-out-of-her-breeders" like us.