Themba’s story
Themba was a delightful little Boxer dog. He was highly
intelligent, spirited, even naughty. And he packed a punch. He was tough. Which
is just as well, given his health issues. He was advertised in the local paper.
The Breeder wasn’t all that friendly but a little research turned up that she
is a top breeder of Boxers and has been a judge at Crufts. Themba had a
pedigree as long as my arm. He was also crypt-orchid, had a broken tail and a
heart murmur. But apart from that, he was ace.
Being crypt-orchid can be a problem, so he underwent a
small procedure to remove the undescended testicles from his body when he was
about a year old.
There was nothing we could do about his tail. I think it
must have been damaged during rough and tumble with his littermates. He was
born shortly after the ban on tail docking was implemented in the UK.
And then there was the heart murmur, indicating the
presence of aortic stenosis. This is a problem in Boxers, but there is a
register, which is supposed to provide prospective Boxer puppy buyers with
information. I only found this register by chance this year. Themba’s dam and
sire were tested for aortic stenosis. The bitch had it. That in itself doesn’t
preclude her from breeding (based on pure Mendelian
genetics), but it should mean that the breeder tells buyers about
it. She didn’t, but our vet is very good and picked it up straight away.
The Breeder did offer to take him back, but as he could
not be used for stud, I worried that he would be destroyed. So we kept him,
warts and all, and I so glad we did. Our other dog, Brin the Boxer, adored him.
This story raises two important issues. One, dog
breeders need to be brought to account. This breeder was highly successful. We
saw both Themba’s parents and they were fine dogs. She was not a puppy farmer.
We felt confident in our purchase. We asked all the right questions. Our puppy
was Kennel Club registered. Shouldn’t the Kennel Club have told us that his
mother was registered with aortic stenosis, albeit mild?
Secondly, our two puppies, both pedigree Boxers, came
from very different backgrounds. Brin was bred in a family home. We met his
mother and grandmother, both beautiful animals. We were even interviewed by the
breeder’s young children! He was completely socialized to dogs, cats, horses
and children. A clear example of nature versus
nurture.
We had Themba in our lives for
five short years, and in case you are wondering, Themba means ‘hope’ in Zulu.
The happiest dog in the world
He was the happiest dog in the world. His tail never
stopped wagging. Three months ago, he was diagnosed with severe, clinical
aortic stenosis. Since then, his physical ability declined, as the frequency of
cardiac syncope increased. Each collapse was followed by a period of prolonged
recovery. Last night, Themba died.
It was a pleasant evening, warm and still. He had
enjoyed his short walk in the woods, and was in position to survey the garden.
He spotted a squirrel making its way over to the bird food, and quick as a
flash, he was off.
He collapsed under his favourite tree, and for a while
it seemed he would recover. Then, as we comforted him, his heart stopped
beating. Mr B and I, and Brin, were with him. It was very peaceful under the
tree.
R.I.P.
'THEMBA'
2007 - 2012
Died chasing a squirrel
Look out for my first eBook, to be published on Kindle soon 'The little dog died'. Often, the first we learn about death is
the sad passing of a beloved family pet. This little book explains some of the hard life
lessons by talking about the death of our lovely dog. For children aged four to
seven.
Now, enter your link below and enjoy all the other animal-flavoured blog posts today.
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