Charlie's Battle To Survive

Seven years ago we rescued a Bernese Mountain dog from living in a kennel far too small for her 100-pound body. She had zero knowledge of boundaries, boundless energy and was not the sharpest tool in the shed. But she was one of the happiest dogs you could ever meet. My grandson adopted her as 'his' dog and named her "Charrrrrrlie."

When we brought her home, Charlie was still a puppy and had 'accidents.'  If she couldn’t make it to the door on time, she would pee on the kitchen floor while shaking her large frame and spraying everyone within reach.

Battle To Survive

This particular time she was in heat and couldn't be left outside without supervision. We tied her to the bedpost while cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.  Within minutes she walked into the kitchen, her leash in her mouth and a pair of men’s underwear around her ankles.

Being a social creature, Charlie often jumped the fence that surrounded our property so she could visit the neighbors’ dogs a mile down the highway. It may have been one of these escapes when she became pregnant. 

When it was time for Charlie to deliver, although she was in hard labor, nothing was progressing. My daughter and I sat with Charlie all night but the babies were not coming. 

In Severe Distress

By the next morning Charlie was obviously in severe distress. We knew it was time to go NOW – especially when the drive to the animal hospital was an hour away. 

We drove as fast as possible and when we opened the back door of the car, not only had Charlie thrown up, she had given birth to a puppy. 

The hospital staff ran to the car with a gurney and tried to get Charlie out. She weighed over 100 pounds and did not want to stand up. They had determined that the first baby was stillborn and one of the staff took the pup inside trying to revive her without success.

Two doctors tended to Charlie after giving her a mild sedative to calm her and another to speed up the process of birth. 

The minutes turned to hours and Charlie finally gave birth to puppy number two. Healthy and ready to nurse! 

Puppy number three, a healthy boy, arrived an hour later. Number four was stillborn and Charlie let out a terrible cry I will never forget.

She Appeared Dead...

What strength it takes for any creature to be born. The fight from conception to birth is not for the weak. And many do not make it. Both of the pups who died were fully formed and larger than the two who made it. The vet guessed that it may have been from a lack of oxygen but we will never know.

The staff took Charlie to the backroom to hose her down as she was a mess. She appeared thrilled that the ordeal was over. On the way to the car, Charlie threw up. 

It was not normal looking and concerned us all. It seemed to take the last ounce of strength out of Charlie. Again, the staff cleaned her up and proceeded to get her into the car.

Just as I was closing the back door of the vehicle, Charlie gave me a look that will be embedded into my memory forever. Charlie's eyes rolled back and she went limp. She appeared dead.

When Charlie's Time Came...

My daughter ran into the hospital and, once again, they came with a gurney but it was impossible to get Charlie out of the vehicle. The veterinarian ran some tests on her in the car.

He said that she might have lost all her calcium (which could be fatal) and her blood pressure had plummeted. They gave her a shot and it became evident she would have to be hospitalized. It didn't look good. We were hoping she was merely exhausted but there were no guarantees.

The staff was finally able to get her into the hospital and gave her an intravenous. They would let us know when something changed.

By the time we got home it was midnight. The hospital called. Charlie was doing fine and we could pick her up in the morning.

Charlie had a rough life and endured a lot of pain, especially when her stomach flipped and she needed emergency surgery. She survived each instance and never stopped smiling. We have rescued many dogs and loved them all, but when Charlie’s time came, we felt a huge loss. We will see her playful smile forever.