Isaac Parker 9/17/18 – 10/10/18

If love could have saved you, you would be with us now…

It is with much sadness that we have to say goodbye to tiny Isaac. He was with us for just over three weeks, but we spent those three weeks fussing over him, praying for him, and doing everything possible to give him the best chance to thrive. We’ve had little puppies before and had hoped that he would be like them and just need supportive care to get over the hump.

We helped him latch on to nurse and gave him round-the-clock supplemental feedings when it seemed like he needed it. We gave him extra warmth, occasional supplemental oxygen, dexamethasone, hydration, antibiotics, liver water… anything we were advised to help him with to get him over the nebulous “fading puppy syndrome” we were battling.

Other than poor weight gain, it didn’t seem like Isaac was fading. He was a talker, a mover, and the sweetest little puppy we could ever have the privilege of spending those intense weeks with. He taught us a lot, and hopefully what we learned can be applied to future little ones that struggle from the start, and intervene even earlier.

Breeding dogs is not for the fainthearted…

It is said that up to 30% of puppies die in their first weeks of life — either in the womb, during birth, or within the first two weeks after birth. We’ve been extremely blessed to not come anywhere close to this statistic.

Isaac’s death hit us hard. Even my tough former volunteer firefighting husband cried with me when my alarm went off at 2:00 a.m. to feed him and our boy was gone. They had been cuddle buddies.

Bill built Isaac a beautiful box and wrapped him in a blanket so it looked like our littlest boy was just sleeping. We loved him every second he was here!

Isaac resting peacefully with Bill a few nights before he left us.

Our hats are off to other dog breeders who have been doing this for years. We’ve heard several heartbreaking stories from other Mi-ki breeders and patrons of other breeds as well. Dog breeders all know it’s just a matter of time before we face this kind of loss. But we carry on for the love of these precious companions and the joy they bring to others.

May we see you again, across the Rainbow Bridge, where you can bring us laughter again, sweet Isaac!