Meet “Beaz” a beautiful yellow Labrador retriever owned by Jan and Mike Lemire of Suffield. Beaz was born on Valentines Day in 1999. In the above portrait taken at Motophoto in Enfield, the AKC champion is shown with her last litter of puppies, born on Halloween 2005. The father of the litter is a top show dog from California, and the future is bright for these puppies as winning show dogs and beloved family pets to their excited new owners.

But the reason Beaz has been selected as our patient of the month is not to promote the joys of breeding dogs, even though it can be an emotionally rewarding hobby. Her lesson is the opposite: dog breeding isn’t to be considered a casual undertaking, and may not be for the faint of heart.

Four days after these puppies were born Beaz became critically ill, just at the time that her new babies needed her most. Tests at our hospital diagnosed a ketoacidotic diabetic crisis. Beaz, who never had a significant illness in her life, was transferred to the ICU unit at Angell MSPCA Animal Hospital in Springfield, where she clung precariously to life for several days while her blood sugar and electrolyte levels were nudged back into balance. I haven’t asked what the veterinary bill was for the ICU services, but I expect it was several thousand dollars.

Meanwhile, her infant puppies needed round the clock care at home. Finally a friend in the Albany area was located who had another nursing mother dog able to take on the extra mouths to feed. During this difficult time three puppies died from stress-related problems.

Since she’s been home, Beaz continues to need insulin injections twice daily, and blood sugar monitoring on a regular basis. We hope that her disease, which started during gestation, will disappear after spaying eliminates other hormonal influences. The remaining puppies returned home to Suffield at four weeks of age, and are now with their new families.

The Lemires have developed an outstanding reputation among the dog show community for breeding occasional litters of puppies carefully screened for good health, appearance and temperament. Their dogs are highly sought by people interested in Labradors. They put the thought and care into planning and raising puppies that this undertaking requires. Anyone that is considering breeding their dog needs to consider not only the importance of carefully selecting proper breeding stock, but also the possible risks – both physical and financial – that such a breeding might incur.

For the chance to remind everyone that breeding dogs is not always a simple, uncomplicated enterprise, we are proud to name Beaz our February 2006 Patient of the Month.

Suffield Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Ann Huntington - Dr. Anita Sabellico - Dr. Dawn Burke

Dr. Jean Herrman – Dr. Tracy Powell

577 East Street South (Route 159), Suffield, CT 06078 (860) 668-4041