# Duna, the pregnant mother.



## Duna (Mar 12, 2012)

Hello everyone, 



I’m Matt from Barcelona, i’m 21 years old and my golden retriever died yesterday night from milk fever, right before delivering. I want to share this story, so it doesn’t happen to anyone of you and also, because this splendid dog deserves it.
With tears pouring from my eyes, i begin: 



Duna (which means Sand dune, for example, a sand dune of the desert) has always been very healthy. She lived with a very athletic family that cared for her very much from day 1. She came to our home because some friends didn’t want her, they already had a golden. Our family never had plans to adopt a dog.. but we couldn’t resist. She was very comfortable with us and she was so playful and fun from the first moment that we didn’t even think about giving her to another family once she was with us. I would take her for a run in the mountains every weekend twice. During the week she would have walks with my brothers. Even the vet told us, she is abnormally healthy, she is a very good dog. And it was true. She never barked at anything, anyone.. only if you played with her a bit harshly! But even then, she wouldn’t dare to get angry.. she would always listen. Well.. all of you have golden’s, so you know how it is.


Five years past by, and she got pregnant from another golden retriever. We were happy because we considered that it was in her genes to be a mother at least once in her life, and that such a precious dog couldn’t go by without being a mother. We treated her with extra-care. The weeks went by at lightning speed. All our family were extremely happy to know that in a few days she wpuld have puppies and that she would finally be a mother.


But things turned for the worse:
Golden retrievers normally have a 63 gestation. We went to the vet 11 days before the 63rd, and the vet told us that she was expecting in 24 hours. That was were everything started to go very, wrong. Very very wrong. First of all, the vet told us to change her diet to meat, and to give her human medicine for her stomach. Both of this things were terrebily wrong. You do not change the diet so vastly of a pregnant person/animal. But we learned this afterwards. Meat is much more difficult to digest, although they may like it more wich will make them seem they are full, and if they already refuse to eat they will eat even less! Making them weaker and weaker by the second. Second of all, the week before they whelp, the diet must be changed to a puppy food diet. Why? Because they are rich in Calcium which prevents the milk fever. I will explain the milk fever in a moment.


So after visiting the vet, we were all happy, because he said Duna was expecting in less than 24 hours. We were amused to hear that, but we were scared because it would mean she was 10 days early. Since we couldn’t do anything about it, we just waited. The day after the vet, she stayed the whole day outside home, in a few spots waiting. We thought she was about to whelp, but nothing happened. And whats worse, she didn’t eat practically anything. So we called the vet, and the vet said “Nothing to worry about, she’ll whelp tomorrow for sure and then she’ll eat”. So, we thought, okay, he knows best. 



The next day, she went outside again.. and she refused to eat at all. She barley drank any water.. so we began to worry. She was lying down at a place were the sun hit her.. If you called her, she couldn’t get up, and if she did, she had to to a huge effort. So during the day, I started looking for information about what was happening.. was it normal? No. She had the milk fever, but we didn’t know. We thought she was about to whelp.
That afternoon, afraid that something was wrong we called out vet. And told the vet what symptoms Duna had. The vet said, that’s normal in dogs, don’t worry, if tomorrow she isn’t eating anything ill come to give her a supplement. When I heard that.. I had a shiver. I don’t know why, but from there I couldn’t stop thinking something bad was going to happen. Duna went outside to pee, and when she finished she layed down and couldn’t move any more. We called our vet, he said she was whelping, but she wasn’t. She was dyeing. Listening to our vet, who in theory knows best, we left her alone to “whelp”. Before going to sleep, I refused to leave her alone outside where it was cold, and I got her with my arms and but her with some blankets. She was panting, trembling.. and she could barley move. I thought, she’s dieing. But another part of me was saying, the vet said she’s about to whelp.. and this is normal.. so don’t worry. I stayd until 3 at midnight, until she settled down and she seemed she was starting to fall asleep giving her comfort. Then I went to sleep, and I finally fell asleep. 3 hours later I woke up, and thought, Duna… something is wrong! I went downstairs, to see that she was still at her spot.. but not breathing, with a bit of vomit on the mouth, and with some goey liquid at her vulva.

She had died. We buried her at out back yard right after. And with that, our family was in huge grief. And the story of Duna ends.
We called our vet afterwards, to ask him what happened, and he said, probably an artery or something. And then is when I started looking at the milk fever symptoms again. And she had ALL of them.. so it was without doubt milk fever that took her. 

Milk fever is caused by low levels of calcium in the blood. It normally happens with mothers milking their puppies, because they need a lot of calcium to produce milk. But it can also happen to pregnant mothers. 
The symptoms are that the dog is unable to get up or move or has a lot of difficulties, trembles, when it walks it wobbles and cant walk straight, heavier breathing than normally.. and it will not respond like it normally would, like if she lost interest.




Our vet, really "messed up". He is an incompetent fool. At least with breeding issues. He made major mistakes that i've consulted with other vets.


I hope this never happens to anybody. From expecting her to whelp, to having her laying down dead in a few hours is one of the worse things that can happen, and it makes me angry that the vet got everything wrong, because Duna didn't deserve it.


One thing I know, she tried to push her puppies out of her stomach until the last breath, and that she never stopped loving, not even in pain.




With this, I say hello to the froums and goodbye to a innocent Golden. Good bye Duna.


----------



## Always51 (Feb 19, 2012)

I can only guess how devastated you are feeling right now.....so very sorry for your loss of Duna and her puppies...I'm so very sad.....

I'm glad though, that you have found this place to let out your grief....big hugs to you...


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss. What a disaster. When clients tell me that they want to breed their bitch, but they don't want lose her, I tell them that there is always a chance of not only losing the pups, but the bitch.... Hopefully, this story will help others on the forum...


----------



## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

My heart bleeds for you and for your loss. Duna sounds like a wonderful friend and the best of dogs. I am just so sorry...


----------



## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I am so so sorry for your loss of your beautiful Dune.


----------



## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

I am so sorry for your loss.


----------



## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

My deepest condolences for your loss of Duna and her puppies. I am very, very sorry, such a tragic accident.
Rest in peace sweet mother Duna with your little puppies.


----------



## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Duna*

Duna

I am so VERY SORRY-My heart just breaks for you and your girl and her puppies!


----------



## HolDaisy (Jan 10, 2012)

I am so sorry to read about the loss of your precious Duna and her puppies, it's just heartbreaking for you. You'll find lots of support on this forum at this very difficult time.


----------



## PrincessDi (Jun 8, 2009)

I'm very sorry for your tragic loss of Duna. I can only imagine how heartbroken you are. I know that your girl is so proud of you, because you reached out to educate us about this terrible threat. RIP sweet girl.


----------



## magiclover (Apr 22, 2008)

I am very sorry about your loss of Duna. I'm sure you must be heartbroken. Thank you for sharing your story.


----------



## Buddysmyheart (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm so sorry for your loss of Duna, and her puppies. Such a tragic story, very painful to read. Hoping you can find some comfort in knowing you reached out to share this information with others. Peace to you.


----------



## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I am so sorry.


----------



## Buddy's mom forever (Jun 23, 2011)

I had to come back and read your sad story again. How heartbroken you feel I cant even imagine. There are so many sad stories but this one is the most sad I read. When you were expecting something so wonderful to happen and things turned out so bad. I am truly sorry. I wish it never happened. I wish it had a happy ending.
Your Duna is an angel now with her sweet little angels puppies.


----------



## Augie's Mom (Sep 28, 2007)

My heart goes out to you and your family for the lose of your beloved Duna, what a terrible tragedy.


----------



## khrios (May 5, 2010)

Que triste la historia de Duna. Mi mas sentido pesame por la perdida de tu querida Duna. 

How sad Duna's story. My most sincere condolences on your loss of your beloved Duna.


----------



## Duna (Mar 12, 2012)

Thank you for all the support. Alltough it's hard to read the condolences, because it moves something very powerful inside me I am very grateful to all of you.


----------



## janababy (Jan 2, 2012)

Matt, my deepest sympathies to you and your family on the loss of your beloved Duna. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I know your experience will be of great service to others on the boards. Take care.


----------



## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

What a horrible story! I am so sorry for your loss! I can't even imagine...

Also what an incompetent vet in my opinion!


----------



## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

I'm just seeing this thread now. I am so sorry for the loss of your girl and her babies. How tragic. 

RIP Duna and precious babies.


----------



## Kula's mommy (Aug 19, 2011)

I am so very sorry for your loss of Duna and her puppies....That is just so horrible what happened but thanks for making us aware of this condition.Peace to you and your family.


----------



## maggsd (Mar 20, 2012)

So very sorry for the loss of your precious Duna and her puppies.


----------

