"It's been horrific" - dog owner's heartbreak of devastating puppy deaths after medication was given to their mother
A devastated dog owner has shared her heartbreak after five of her dog’s puppies died overnight, which she fears was as a result of medication given to their mother.
Zoe Moon, 47, of Denmead, is still reeling after the weekend’s event where she had to bury five puppies following her three-year-old pocket bulldog Fendi’s C-section. After discovering the puppies in the morning, she checked the painkillers which had been prescribed to Findi by the PDSA in Cowplain and said it had a warning that it shouldn't be given to lactating or pregnant dogs.
However, following advice from the Cowplain vets in Durley Avenue, she had ensured the puppies had latched on to Findi for her milk, which Zoe believes caused the death of the five puppies. The PDSA have advised that the drug prescribed, Meloxicam, is not known to be fatal to puppies and the deaths could have been caused by “many possible contributing factors”.
The situation arose many weeks ago when Findi escaped and became pregnant, unbeknownst to Zoe. She was relieved when she was at first told by the PDSA that Findi wasn’t expecting puppies at a following appointment. However, her suspicions remained and in July she paid for her to have a scan privately which revealed she was indeed pregnant.
Zoe told The News that on Saturday, August 16, Findi “went downhill” and at a visit to the PDSA she was told a C-Section would be needed or she would die. Fortunately it was successful with the seven puppies born (six girls and one boy).
Then on Sunday the devastating scene unfolded. Zoe said: “It’s been horrific. Everyone knows how much our dog means to us and to see her searching high and low for her babies has been heart-breaking. It’s just been awful to see and hopefully it doesn’t change her.”
Findi has continued to suffer from the after-effects of the operation with the two surviving puppies currently with a surrogate, Zoe said.
While she has raised a complaint sharing her belief that the medication and advice to ensure the puppies latched on to Findi caused the deaths, the PDSA have said there is no way to tell if that is the case without a post-mortem - with many possible complications arising in the first few days after birth.
However Zoe’s family have buried the puppies in their garden.
The PDSA expressed sympathies for the “heart-breaking” situation and advised it will be there to support Zoe and Findi going forward.
A PDSA spokesperson said: “We’re extremely sorry to hear about the sad loss of Fendi’s puppies. We offer our most sincere condolences to their family at this tragic and distressing time.
“Whilst we are unable to share specific details about our pet patients, the drug ‘Meloxicam’ is commonly prescribed and is not known to be fatal to puppies. A caesarean section (or C-section) is a major surgery, and prescribing pain relief after a pet undergoes surgery is usual practice. Drugs like Meloxicam are generally well-tolerated by pets, and serious side effects are very rare.
“Unfortunately, there are heart-breaking scenarios where puppy deaths can occur in the first few days after birth, and there are many possible contributing factors, including health complications in the mother or the puppies themselves. A confirmed conclusion as to the cause of death would need to be determined through veterinary assessment or post-mortem.
"As a charity that relies entirely on the public’s generosity through donations, we have limited funds available, which means we cannot support the breeding of pets. However, in emergency situations, we will always provide the urgent first-aid care and pain relief treatment needed, with pet health and welfare remaining our greatest priority.
“Our thoughts are with Fendi and her family, and our teams are available should we be able to offer any further support.”