Need Help/Advice. Urgent

[Lizmo]

I found a puppy on the side of the road sitting in the woods.

It's a female black lab. She an't be more than 8-10 weeks. This wouldn't be such a big deal but I think it has a hip/leg problem. She will walk on it, sit down like a normal dog would, but it just doesn't seem to be walking quite right IMO. Also, when you pick her up she straightens that leg out and won't bend it.

I can't get to a vet till Monday, and then I can't do much. If it needs surgery, x-rays, what ever else, she will be PTS. I don't want to take her to the Pound because I don't like out pound here at all. And I'm not a fan of how they treat the dogs at the HS either.

Would a Lab Rescue take her? I have no clue what to do. I need help.

I gave her water and she drank that readily. Gave her food mixed with water to soften it and she ate that readily too.

Help please.

 

[Doberluv]

How is her demeanor? Does she appear to be in anguish or pain? If she seems to be comfortable, it may not be a recent injury. It might be a defect. If you can hold out till Monday, will a vet take a look at her without charging you when you explain that you just found this little pup? I would take the dog straight to the vet without calling them. Sometimes once the animal is right there in front of them, they may tend to act on it better than if you call them and they don't see the pup. In the meantime, can you take care of her...keep her quiet, feed her etc?

If she does seem to be in pain, you may need to take her to an emergency vet clinic. But be sure to stress that you can not pay for it because it's not your dog...you just happened upon her.

Or yeah....is there a Lab rescue in your area that would help?

 

[Lizmo]

I don't know a THING about Lab rescue. She doesn't seem to be in pain, but it's obvious that she doesn't like it touched or being picked up.

Yes, I can keep her till Monday. And if she doens't have anything wrong with her I can keep her longer to find her a home or transport her to a Lab rescue. She's got a great temperment.

She's sleeping soundly on the rug in the garage now. I've got a crate set up for her (yay for extra crates!) and she ate and drank water.

 

[Xandra]

First off, try and find her home (call the shelter, any houses near where you found her, I'm sure you know the drill)

If you grope her leg a bit, does it hurt her?

Are you sure she's a lab pup? If she could pass as pure certainly contact the lab rescue.

What's her weight like?

I know my vet would do the whole shebang. It doesn't even sound like the puppy is in pain, if she's walking, sitting, eating and drinking. So, honestly, if the vet says, "we must do x rays and exploratory surgery for $3000000000) I would personally just take it home and watch it, not put it down. Different story if she cries when you feel the leg, but I think you might be jumping the gun a bit here. Because she might heal on her own, or she might not and have a leg that is a little bit "off," that doesn't mean that she's crippled or anything. Wait till there is actually something pressing beforing the PTS option, like if she's in pain or you can't keep her and have nowhere else to put her.

ETA: Yeah, well, I take a long time to type. So since she's doesn't seem to be in pain, don't have her PTS just because the vet wants some x rays.

 

[Lizmo]

I can't keep this puppy. I can NOT have another dog.

She doens't yelp when you touch her, but she puts her ears back and looks at you with an evil look.

She is a lab.

 

[bubbatd]

Please contact Lab rescue ! They are a great group ! Kudos to you for what you have done !

 

[Lizmo]

How do I find a lab rescue?

 

[AllieMackie]

Easy! A simple google search.

Labrador Friends

 

[Maxy24]

I checked your state and didn't find any lab rescues unfortunately which is odd. Perhaps a non-breed specific rescue would still take him.

 

[Sweet72947]

I found this:

Labrador Friends of the South Inc.

Email them, and also call their number. You tend to get a faster response from rescues if you call the number.

 

[Xandra]

Tough... here there are breed rescues for anything and everything... there is no Alabama Lab Rescue that I could find.

In addition to AllieMackie's link give these guys a shout:

Contact Rescue - The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.

 

[Lizmo]

Thanks guys, I checked out Allie's website that she linked me to, and it looks promising.

I just really, really hope she doens't have a leg/hip problem. I think I might be able to find her a home if she doens't.

My parents are willing to foot $25 of the vet bill, depending on what goes on. Otherwise she's mine to deal with.

 

[Labyrinth]

If she's not showing signs of severe pain hopefully it's nothing serious, but if it is please do look into a rescue or a non kill shelter of some sort before resorting to having the pup PTS.

Oh, and if you have the time.. We'd love some pictures =D

 

[Lizmo]

Can you give a puppy a Cap Star? I have a 25lb one (like a one size works for all I think).

She doesn't have ticks, but I'm not sure about fleas and if she does I want to get ride of them ASAP!

She will NOT be PTS if there is nothing wrong. just making that clear.

 

[Sweet72947]

Bathe the puppy in Dawn liquid dish detergent. It kills fleas and its safe to use on puppies (and kittens).

 

[Lizmo]

Okay, thanks! That would be faster than a Cap Star anyways.

 

[JessLough]

Even if there is something wrong...she's a puppy. There's really no reason I can see to justify having her PTS, puppies adjust very quickly. That is, of course, unless it is something that is causing her pain and cannot be fixed or have anything done about the pain. If the vet says she needs xrays or something, you don't have to have it done right away.... rescues and other options have money specifically for health issues like that, especially in a puppy. A puppy will be adopted very quickly, there is no reason why the puppy cannot get the help it needs.

Also, are you absolutely sure that the dog does not have a home? If it was just sitting there in the trees by the road, that kind of seems to me like it may have owners somewhere. The leg could be something she was born with, or an injury that occured during birth or a fairly new injury. If she was missing for say, a week, the owners may not know about the injury yet as they are still trying to find her. If the dog does belong to somebody, and you have it PTS, I can see there being some issues with that, big time.

 

[Renee750il]

I'll text Zoom for you. She's a member of a big Lab board; that's how she got Virgo placed, if I remember correctly

 

[grab01]

yep, do see if she perhaps wandered out of someone's yard. If she doesn't seem to show outright pain (and most puppies are pretty vocal about that) it would seem to me it's a longer standing issue..perhaps something she was born with.

If no owners come forward in a week or so, she should be easy for you to place.

 

[Lizmo]

I think she was dumped. Because the place she was dumped isn't that close to a neighborhood, and I can't see this pup walking that far in her own. She's sticking to me like glue right now. Also, the place she was dumped is next to a busy highway. She's also very shy around hands. If you call her to you, she comes running over, then goes flat on the ground if you put your hand out. She's also got alot of scratches/cuts on her (they've been cleaned up tho).

Guys, geeze. I'm not doing to have the dog PTS if nothing is wrong. I do NOT have the funds for x-rays or surgery IF something is wrong. There isnt anything I can do about that. And I WILL contact a Lab rescue before I have her PTS IF something is wrong with her leg/hip.

I just bathed her in Dawn, washed the crate, and her food/water bowls, I got a shower and washed my clothes, and she's now sleep.

Anyway, here are pictures of the little gal.

The fur on her legs right here in this picture has is gone, as you can see. It's also like this under her shoulders.