News
A Miracle Moment
Today at Guide Dogs QLD we are fortunate enough to have a healthy and happy litter of pups ready to go off to the their puppy raisers and start their very important Guide Dog journeys.
If you have been following the incredible journeys of these pups, you would know that just a couple months ago this was not the predicted outcome for these little fighters.
Today to conclude our Miracle Monday series we would like to share with you the story of our valued and dedicated team here at Guide Dogs Queensland, who had crucial roles in saving and raising our Miracle Litter and their caring for their mum ‘Nora’.
Our breeding centre staff, led by Guide Dogs Queensland veterinarian Dion Humbler, went above and beyond to provide the upmost care and love for these pups and their mum ‘Nora’ throughout their recovery and recuperation.
It was a very challenging time for us, as we were also caring for two other very young litters and Nora’s puppies needed around-the-clock care to ensure their environment was just perfect for their development and they were all feeding well. – Dion Humbler
Our pups would not be here today without the Guide Dogs Queensland Breeding Centre team’s dedication and hard work. It was their sacrificed late nights, early mornings and around-the-clock care that ultimately determined the survival of the pups.
Being so small, the puppies were very weak, so required help to stay attached to Nora whilst feeding. Also, being so small, we needed to constantly watch the puppies to ensure that Nora did not accidentally stand or sit on the puppies.
It is because of our devoted staff that we can today refer to these pups as a ‘miracle’.
Our committed team was responsible for many tasks to keep these little fighters alive. The little pups needed to be fed every two hours. This meant, many late nights and early mornings ensuring our pups were receiving enough milk and nutrients to see it through each day and night.
The pups also needed to be weighed several times a day to ensure each pup was gaining enough weight and their body temperatures needed to be constantly monitored.
Once the puppies had their eyes open, were able to stand and walk and were eating solid food, we all could relax a little. It wasn’t until the pups reached about the 6 week mark that we really believed that they would all pull through.
While Mum ‘Nora’ was doing great after giving birth, she too needed to be monitored and cared for attentively. This consisted of checking her vitals several times a day and providing all the care, attention and love to ensure she was comfortable and happy.
Nora was in very good health before this happened, therefore her recovery was very quick. Nonetheless, it was still a major surgery for her. We needed to ensure that she was kept warm and quiet. Importantly, she also received a lot of TLC from the caring team in the Breeding Centre.
Guide Dogs Queensland is so thankful for our breeding centre team for their hard work and going above and beyond in their care.
The journey of saving these pups wasn’t a short one, it was weeks of uncertainty and around-the-clock care. It was definitely not a straightforward and simple journey but we are so fortunate to be able to say it was one with an amazing outcome.
The crucial turning point for us was definitely when they started eating solid food. Their weight gains and energy levels increased at this point.
It’s so exciting to announce that these little pups will soon be off to their puppy raisers and start their training to becoming Guide Dogs.
While this is our last segment of Miracle Mondays, we will be sure to keep you updated on the journeys of the pups and we can’t wait for the day that they will be making incredible impacts to many lives.
These pups will some day provide freedom and independence to Queenslanders who are blind or vision impaired and it’s all thanks to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in the journey.
If you missed any of our previous segments you can click the links below:
