"Do you have those pet nursers?"

"Yes, ma'am, we do, and the milk replacer. Are you raising puppies, kittens or something else?"

"Well, my 'Rockwilder' had puppies last night and I guess she's too young to be a mother 'cause she killed seven of them last night and another one this morning. So, we're gonna try to bottle feed the last two of them."

"Yes, ma'am. How old is she?"

"Well, she's had two heat cycles."

"Yes, ma'am, but how old is she?"

"I got her when she was just 6 weeks old."

"Yes, ma'am, but how old is she now?"

"She's 14 months. Will she pass on immunity to the puppies with her first milk?"

"When were her last vaccinations?"

"Awww, she ain't never had none of those."

"Well, ma'am, in order for her to pass on immunity she has to have something to pass on. At 14 months of age she doesn't have any immunity left from her own mother, and must have vaccinations in order to stimulate her immunity, which she passes on in her milk. Didn't your veterinarian explain that to you at the pre-breeding exam? And, didn't he tell you that she must be at least 24 months of age to be certified free of hip dysplasia by the Orthopoedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)?"

"What's a pre-breeding exam?"

"It's just like when you go to see your physician when you plan to have a child, or find out you're pregnant, so that you're eating the right things, taking in the right nutrients, and being sure the pregnancy is going as it should."

"Naw, she ain't never seen no vet. And, what's that hip thing you said? She ain't no registered dog."

"Ma'am, hip dysplasia isn't just for registered dogs, anymore. It's a condition a mother and/or father dog can pass on to their offspring that can cause crippling arthritis as early as 6 months of age. Crippling arthritis is just as painful to a mongrel as to a show dog, and the only way to eliminate it from the gene pool is to have breeding dogs x-rayed prior to being bred in order to identify and not breed dogs that are affected. Every dog over 30 pounds body weight should have OFA x-rays prior to breeding. OFA cannot certify a dog free of hip dysplasia earlier than two years of age since signs may develop up to that age. If your dog has hip dysplasia, she has just passed it on to her entire litter. Or, what's left of it."

"Huh! You learn something every day."

"Yes, ma'am, one hopes so. We'll have the nurser and milk replacer ready for you. Would you like to make an appointment for a post-partum exam for your rottweiler and her puppies?"

Huh? What's that?"

"A post-partum examination is a physical exam for the mother and the puppies right after they're born to ensure that they're physically OK, and that the mother dog's uterus has passed all the puppies and placentas. We might identify a reason for all those puppies dying before you lose the remaining two."

"Uhhhh, I'll get back with you on that. She ain't never seen no vet."

"Yes, ma'am, you said that. And that hasn't worked real well so far, has it?"