Hello, here I go! Just returned from the local dog show to check mail, and saw the topic. It has been discussed in Cockers (Am) snce the 1950's...but I saw my first 20 years ago in a litter by a famous dog, and was secretly (yes, amazingly, i kept my mouth shut) horrified at what they were putting the puppy through. I heard all the experts (and a few actually were) pontificate on the subject, then a few years later I had my first one. Out of my Best in Futurity bitch by a BIS dog, we started with 5 puppies at 4 AM. Mother had uterine inertia and by the time we (she and I) managed to get the first out, it was the only bitch and stillborn due (the vet said) to the long time in the birth canal. By now it is 5:30 AM and I am at the vets for a C-section. 4 more big, fat, sleek thrifty dogs with one gasping for air (he was the 2nd in line) and the vet decided too long without oxygen so we put him down. Now we have 3 fat, sleet, thrifty male puppies. Home finally and care for the poor bitch. I pick up one of the fat sleet things to discover it has a cleft palate. Back to vets. Now we have 2 fat sleek puppies who eat continuously. A day or 2 passes. One suddenly looks like a seal with its bones removed that has been flattened like a pancake and injected with jello. Happy and still eating (but I am not). By now, I don't care. Call the vet. She says to stop worrying and bring him in the morning and she will give him a calcium shot. Until then, put the poor puppy in with his brother, leave him alone and go to bed. After discussing this (much later) with sainted vet (a reproductive expert) and a highly successful breeder in the east, it was concluded that the 'swimmers' have soft bones as they don't assimilate their calcium properly, probably a weak immune system (latter very common in Am.Cockers). Vet felt that if it made the breeder happy to tie up the legs, put the towels all round, make slings, etc, fine, as it is therapy for the breeder who is supremely confident that all this helculean effort has SAVED the puppy. Vet says hogwash, but no harm done. End result? Fat seal becomes famous, finished with 5 majors and was a 5-time SBIS dog, in the H.I.S. Top producers, lived a happy and healthy life to age 12 and a half and yes, in his second litter (at age 6+), there were TWO fat boneless seals (5 puppies all lived and grew up healthy and strong) who were dutifully trucked to the vet for calcium shots and grew up to be famous champions. Neither produced swimmers and we are in the 3rd and 4th generations and no more swimmers. Draw your own conclusions. Just the facts, mam'n. Michael Allen, Baliwick Am. Cockers
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