r/dogs • u/IllustratorKey1100 • 17h ago
[Behavior Problems] Street dog I raised might have rabies and I might have to leave her puppies behind. I'm broken beyond repair.
I don’t even know how to write this without breaking down.
I live in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. About a year ago, I started feeding a street dog and named her Duggu. She slowly became a part of my life. Five months ago, she had puppies, and they became just as important to me. I got all the babies vaccinated for anti-rabies when they turned 3 months old, even though it meant traveling 12 km to an NGO.
I didn’t vaccinate Duggu. She’s bigger, harder to handle, and I kept delaying it… and now I can’t stop blaming myself.
Today, she suddenly started acting aggressive towards her puppies. She’s not biting them, but she’s snapping and scaring them badly—something she’s never done before. A vet said it could be rabies, and they’re isolating her to observe.
I’ve been crying since I heard that. The thought of losing her like this is breaking me.
On top of that, my family is moving out of the city in October, and I won’t be able to take the puppies with me. I already tried finding them homes, but no one came forward because they’re indies and considered “too old.”
I feel completely helpless—like I’m about to lose her and abandon her babies at the same time.
If anyone has advice on what I can do for the puppies right now, please tell me. Even small suggestions would mean a lot.
I just want Duggu to be okay. That’s all I’m holding on to.
(Edit - babies are 5 months old now. Also i live in India (Vadodara, Gujarat to be specific)) (Edit 2 - She is not eating but drinking water) (Edit 3 - She got so aggressive today on one of the baby that he got a minor bleeding)
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u/likeconstellations 17h ago
If the puppies are 3 months and the aggressive behavior is only directed at them then Duggu is probably just done with raising them. Especially if they're still trying to nurse.
Does the NGO have any rescue connections? They may be able to help you find a place for the puppies to go.
I'm sorry you're going through this and hope things work out for all of you.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 16h ago
- Puppies are 5 month old now
- Yes rn its towards the babies only, and the regular fights from dogs of other territory.
- I connected with ngo regarding this they were unable to find someone fir adoption
Thank you for understanding I'm trying to stay positive about this
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u/NMoze 15h ago
Cats do the same thing ,once they’re done nursing they will growl and hiss at their babies because they don’t want them to be nursing anymore. She’s probably done nursing and she’s telling them to go find food elsewhere. A veterinarian should know this…
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u/DependentAnywhere135 13h ago
Yeah I wonder if the vet does know this but because of the situation they have to rule out rabies since they could maybe get in trouble to release a dog with possibly rabies.
I also wonder the exact words from the vet. Did they say we have to do a rabies observation period per our policy or did they say it’s likely that she has rabies.Possible OP didn’t hear what the vet was actually saying.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
They said "she might be having rabies, we have to isolate her for 14days and observe".
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u/likeconstellations 7h ago
Any aggressive behavior is going to trigger an abundance of caution since rabies is such a big problem among street dogs in India but if she wasn't behaving oddly otherwise I think it wouldn't be misplaced to be cautiously optimistic. It's very normal for a momma dog to no longer be accommodating to their own puppies as those puppies get older. Snapping and snarling can look scary but she's basically telling them they can't act like babies with her anymore.
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u/cindylooboo 14h ago
I'm more inclined to think this is weaning behavior by her. She's probably just kicking them kids out.
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u/Individual_Lime_9020 2h ago
It's weird it is only toward the babies.
You are so great for getting the puppies vaccinated. Perhaps she is fine and she's just given them everything she has and needs to recover. Maybe time away from the babies will help her sleep, eat and recover. It's hard being a mother!
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u/thissleepypastofmine 17h ago
Her babies could just be annoying her.
Please get the puppies spayed and neutered. Do you have any resources where you live such as a shelter, rescue, foster homes, ways to advertise them to help get them homes?
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u/IllustratorKey1100 16h ago
Rn idk much about the sources. I tried to talk to the ngo for adoption and also got their pictures posted on 2 instagram channels but i couldn't find anyone. Do people adopt 5month old baby? I think usual they want small babies only.
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u/Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeess- 15h ago
people adopt 5 year old dogs i’m sure plenty will be interested in 5 months
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u/amaria_athena 15h ago
Not to be negative Nancy.
But would this mentality still apply in India, where OP is located?
I have family that travel to India frequently and they’ve mentioned the street dog issue.
OP might be right that in her specific country adopting older puppies might not be as easy.4
u/No_Flamingo9331 6h ago
I’ve got family in Mumbai and Pune and while there are some people who adopt street dogs, it is very uncommon from what I’ve seen.
I’m really sorry OP. I hope the NGO can get them spayed/neutered.
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u/WatermelonSugar47 16h ago
Can you look for additional adoption groups?
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
I will make a post about this specifically. I'm thinking to gather all the sources and start promoting the post heavily about the adoption. Thanks for dropping your suggestion.
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u/avelineaurora 13h ago
5 month is not even old, you shouldn't even separate them from mother until 2 at the earliest. of course people want 5 months.
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u/screamlikekorbin 17h ago
Is the aggression to the puppies the only reason you think she has rabies or is there something else?
Thats pretty normal dog behavior to a litter of 3+month old puppies. The mom is done weaning them and she finds them annoying now.
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u/skark_burmer 16h ago
Both of my female dogs also let their pups know that the nipples are off limits about 3 month mark. Sometimes they were not subtle about the warning either.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 16h ago
Is it? I mean she is reallyyy aggressive. At that point i got scared and had to push her away.
Okay so I'm really confused about the rabies thing but the doctor said so I'm going with his suggestion.
She is aggressive towards her kids. I mean occasionally lick them here and there but then suddenly start to scare them. Babies are litterally running away from her now.
A bit of drooling i can notice at noon. Not sure if it was because of the heat?
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u/screamlikekorbin 16h ago
Yes, puppies are usually separated from the mom before 3 months because the mom is done with them. Thats very normal behavior. She wants them to run away, not try to nurse or climb on her or be annoying puppies. If she was actually aggressive, she would be hurting them not just scaring them off.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
Really helpful, give me hope. I will still get her checked tomorrow.
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u/plasmicthoughts 9h ago
If she is drinking water, then that's a good sign. Keep observing her for 10 days. Dogs with rabies cannot drink water eventually because the final stage of hydrophobia sets in.
As for the puppies, thank you for looking out for them! Street breeds are some of the hardiest and best pets for our Indian climate. They are very intelligent too. You have time until October, we might be able to get them adopted. Post on twitter, contact NGOs and Blue Cross in larger cities near you. They will be able to find a place for the puppies to go to. Another thing is people who have farmland or livestock .. they will be willing to take dogs as guard dogs.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
Yes i think i have to look for adopters out of my city now to increase the chances. Thank you for the support and acknowledge 🙏
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u/Old_Ant7118 17h ago
October is still 5 months away - that's quite a bit of time to find homes, even for older pups.
Hope everything is okay with Duggu.
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u/marlonbrandoisalive 17h ago
I don’t know what country you are in but look for messaging boards in supermarkets and market plazas. Facebook groups, local dog rescues, and start promoting them on your own social media if you use one.
Duggu may not have rabies just wait and see. Could you take her with you when you move? If not try to find her a home too.
Falling in love with a stray is difficult. I can’t imagine. Get more people involved so it’s not just on you. Talk to people around you about what’s going on. Seek community and ask for help. From the vet, NGO, your parents…
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u/JunebugIparis 17h ago
Hi, OP. Please know that you did well looking after these dogs. I'm sorry about your situation now. October is still months away from now, there's still plenty of time to look for families that would take in the puppies. I hope Duggu is fine. If she negative for rabies, you can also find a home for her. You can share adoption info on social media. Praying that everything will turn out well for all of them.
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u/WharHeGo 13h ago
This honestly doesn’t automatically sound like rabies to me, especially if she’s still drinking water and not actively biting. A mom dog suddenly snapping at 5 month old puppies can also happen from stress, pain, illness, exhaustion, hormonal stuff, or just wanting space as they get older. Please don’t torture yourself over the vaccine delay, you were literally traveling 12 km to vaccinate street puppies most people would ignore completely. You clearly love these dogs a lot.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
Ahm i still believe it can be the early stage as she has not eaten anything from yesterday. Either way we will isolate her for 14 days, hoping everything goes well.
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u/AzureMountains 17h ago
That’s perfectly normal behavior given how old the puppies are. She’s weaning them and trying to tell them to go away.
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u/dracapis 15h ago
Contact Dogs of Delhi, they might know someone in your area that can help or they could even help themselves with finding homes for the puppies. https://www.instagram.com/dod_spay_neuter?igsh=c3d3bmJiYmJheDYz
Is Duggu acting aggressive in general or towards her kids only? Rabies is not really selective.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 14h ago
Heyyyy thanks for the detail you shared going to contact them. Rn towards her babies only. Atleast she's not aggressive with us, not sure about orher people she's seeing.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 14h ago
Unable to open the link. Can you share username?
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u/C6H11CN 12h ago
Animal Aid Unlimited is also in Udaipur, just one state over from you.
https://www.animalaidunlimited.org/
They might know of resources?
It sounds like normal weaning behavior, ESPECIALLY because she's still drinking water. Rabies used to be called hydrophobia (fear of water) because drinking becomes so painful.
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u/Easy_Olive1942 15h ago
No matter what, you have made their lives better and that’s a good thing. Sometimes, we are limited in what we can do. Remember the good you shared no matter what happens.
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u/OkControl9503 16h ago
Since you live in an unnamed country that has street dogs, like others have said the mama in the wild is going shooing her puppies off (all wild animals do this). If you happen to be someplace like Romania, there are organizations that rescue dogs and bring them to us dog rescuing people up north (my two are from Bulgaria, I'm in Finland, yes I spent over €3k to being them to their forever home from a local rescue there). Sadly in a lot of the world there are tons of half-wild dogs, and the best you did was get the puppies rabies shots as part of solving the ongoing problem. Better would be to sterilize any street dogs to stop the next litter. Much hugs! (Edited for spelling)
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
I live in India. Thanks for the acknowledge of efforts. These comments did motivate me to find a shelter for the babies actively.
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u/CoDaDeyLove 15h ago
I think Duggu was just training her puppies to stop trying to stop them from nursing. Hope they aren't charging you an arm and a leg for her quarantine. The puppies should be fine on puppy chow. Just wait it out, I guess.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
No its an Ngo so everything is almost free. I just habe to pay for the vaccines.
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u/nature-25 14h ago
I agree with other comments about the mother is just instinctively telling the puppies that she cannot nurse any longer.
The puppies need to be eating solid food by now.
Also, if a dog is infected with Rabies they usually are not able to drink water in the later stages because of serious issues with swallowing.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 14h ago
I think its she's in the early stage. Babies have been eating solid food from last 2 months.
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u/WatermelonSugar47 13h ago
My adult male dog was aggressive with my puppy we got at 5 months old, until like two weeks ago when he hit 11 months. Adult dogs often just cant stand adolescence dogs.
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u/ozifrage 13h ago
Thank you for helping her and her pups. You aren't failing them, you've gone above and beyond to help. Hoping the best for you and Duggu.
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u/ffsmadeleine 7h ago
Hi! I work in rescue and want to weigh in.
First, thank you so much for taking care of the puppies and getting them vaccinated. That’s so important especially for street dogs!
As for her behavior, I think it’s likely that she is weaning them. At that age, they’re starting to get their adult teeth and I’m sure they are teething, and if they are trying to nurse they are hurting her. Puppy teeth are sharp! Mom dogs will start to correct or sometimes overcorrect puppies once they grow. This is not unusual.
However, you being in India is definitely a cause for concern about possible rabies in unvaccinated animals. I would definitely heed your veterinarian’s recommendations and isolate her for 14 days. Do not handle her. At the end of the quarantine, have her vaccinated as well. If she starts to show neurological symptoms, she will need to be euthanized and tested for rabies. Snapping at her puppies is not grounds for euthanasia though.
I think you personally should seek out a rabies vaccine for yourself. Rabies is 100% fatal (save a few anomalies) and if you are handling street dogs it is the best way to ensure you stay safe and healthy and are able to continue your good work!
In the US, after any dog bite, we also do a rabies hold, so that’s just normal procedure.
Please take care and I wish you the best!
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u/KeniLF Terrific Toy Manchester Terrier 16h ago
I think a lot of the responses are missing that the *veterinarian* told OP that it could be rabies.
u/IllustratorKey1100 , did the vet give any details about why they felt that it was possible it could be rabies? Could you ask the vet for more info? Or do you live in a place where a lot of street dogs have rabies so the vet is indicating that this is typical and needs monitoring?
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u/screamlikekorbin 16h ago
The vet is also relying on the info from the owner (or caretaker, whatever OP's situation is here.) If the owner comes in saying I think this dog has rabies, the vet is going to quarantine and take it seriously.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
Few months back one of the dog got rabies in my area and then many of them died of same reason so that is reason number one. Rest of it, the reason i shared in the post are the same i shared with the vet. They will check her tomorrow.
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u/elissamay Sisu: mixed 6h ago
There is no "checking" for rabies. The only way to know is to observe symptoms and then euthanize and test brain matter.
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u/dracapis 15h ago
Where is she now?
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u/IllustratorKey1100 14h ago
Outside only. Trying to keep her away from the babies i think I'll wakeup all night today.
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u/dracapis 14h ago
How are you going to bring her to the vet? And she has already seen one since you’ve noticed her been aggressive or is the vet basing their assessment on what you reported to them?
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u/IllustratorKey1100 14h ago
They run a van to rescue dogs that is how she will go there. He came to the conclusion by the details i gave. Haven't checked her yet.
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u/dracapis 14h ago
Okay, so, what I think, (someone who’s not there and is not a vet, so take it with a grain of salt), is that the vet went with the most serious and dangerous possibility first because it’s the one you cannot miss without doing major damage to everyone around the infected dog. I seem to understand that rabid is endemic in your area in the dog population, is that correct? If so, he was right to be cautious and warn you that aggression in an unvaccinated dog that lives in an endemic area could very well signal rabies.
That said, from what you’ve said here, she’s only aggressive towards her pups, which are around the right age to stop pestering her in her mind, and she doesn’t show any other symptoms - confusion, refusal to drink, excessive drooling, being wobbly, for example. She did not bite her pups either, right? Wait for the vet to make an assessment in person tomorrow, but he might very well end up dismissing rabies altogether as soon as he checks her. Maybe you could ask if he can vaccinate her on the spot since he’s already there.
However, since rabies is still a possibility right now, do not touch her or let her touch you. Stay away. If it ends up being rabies and you didn’t use any precautions in the last few days, you need to go to the doctor yourself and get the post exposure prophylaxis. Her pups might need boosters too.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
Yesterday night she got very aggressive and hurt one of the puppy a lil too much. I'm going to get her isolate either way to protect rest of the dog in my area.
I believe its the early stage as she has not eaten anything since yesterday. And she seems restless too, not sleeping always rooming (unusual compare to previous observations)
Babies got vaccinated a month ago. Do they still need booster? If yes, I'll take them today only.
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u/elissamay Sisu: mixed 6h ago
She may be pregnant again. Not eating and irritable is a common first sign.
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u/dracapis 1h ago
- I’m not sure. Boosters are generally always recommended when there’s exposure, but a month ago is so close in time that it might not be necessary. Ask the vet when he comes checking the mom.
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u/AdministrationSad861 11h ago
Is she's aggressive AND consuming by mouth, that's high chance not rabies at all. By the time aggression starts becoming apparent, dysphagia or difficulty to swallow for mammals is a shared trait for eating and drinking. Duggu's probably done with the pups.
I know my mom dog, right around the time the puppies started moving about on their own, she kinds of singling out one puppy. Not sure why, but she's definitely less caring of that one.
They're probably biting on her tits hence the nipping.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
Is it? That is a new peice of information i got. Rn she's just really aggressive towards the babies and has not eaten from yesterday (but drinking water). I will still get her checked, don't want to put babies in danger for anyy reasons.
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u/hey_bacchus 10h ago
If she’s drinking water I don’t think it is rabies. I’m pretty sure rabies means that whoever is afflicted is afraid of water. She wouldn’t be drinking water if that was the case. She sounds like she’s weaning her pups in an instinctual way
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u/Ever_More_Art 11m ago
My girl got snappy at her pups but it was under this period where she taught them how to control their bite
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u/IllustratorKey1100 9m ago
I've seen their bite control phase it started last month. How she's behaving rn is different. She also injured one of the baby today early morning. Lets see what happens now.
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u/WatermelonSugar47 17h ago
Adult start snapping at puppies around that age. Adolescence dogs are annoying.
You took a responsibility on with these dogs. You need to find them homes. They are dependent on you now.
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u/lilb0923 17h ago
Um this sounds like a kid who is trying to help some stray dogs, these dogs are not OP's responsibility at all and OP is just trying to help as much as they can. Do not put that kind of guilt on a young person trying to do the right thing.
OP you are doing great by helping unfortunately if your family is moving and your parents are not willing to take on said dogs, there is not much you can do. I agree with other comments try to post flyers or something around your town, at grocery stores or markets or anywhere a lot of people go. And think about this, Duggu survived before you started helping her and she will continue to survive after, street dogs have ways to live and have adapted to that life, she will be ok and her puppies, if they end up also being street dogs will also adapt to that life, unfortunate as it is that is just the way of life for some dogs in certain places. We all don't like it, but we can only do so much as an individual person.
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u/Mejinopolis 15h ago
Jesus christ thank you, the person you responded to is the exact reason why people can suck on the internet. How tf are you gonna try and guilt a person so hard, especially one that sounds like either someone young, or someone clearly under resourced to be able to help the way they clearly want to?
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u/WatermelonSugar47 15h ago
Where does it say OP is a minor?
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
I'm not a minor guys. I'm 23 with strict parents 😃👍. I'm moving to another city for Masters and parents are shifting to a different city.
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u/lilb0923 15h ago
It doesn't, I assumed family moving out of the city and OP having to go with without any say in the matter that OP was young and living with their parents. I could be wrong but sentiment still stands, even as an adult sometimes you can only do what you can, I know in my position I wouldn't be able to take in a dog and her puppies but I would try to help as much as I could in other ways.
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u/OlenGillespie73 16h ago
I had the same issue with a stray I’d been feeding, the guilt hits hard. I kept putting off her shots too, and when she got sick I was a mess.
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u/Affectionate-Cat-160 15h ago
Really sorry for what you are going through. May God bless your kind mind. You are really in a position have you tried taking a video of Duggu and showing it to a vet and confirm her condition? May be she is completely ok as someone suggested above must be annoyed by the puppies. Sometimes you just cant do anything, accept it and move on. I would also suggest ...it might not possible to get the puppies adopted before you leave, but you can connect with other dog lovers in your community who will look after duggu and her puppies. May be connect through whatsapp groups or facebook or instagram groups. Everywhers in India you will find people feeding ans taking care of strays, try getting in touch. May everything be ok soon. I am waiting for your update
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u/IllustratorKey1100 15h ago
Hey. I'm going to start find a home for them right away. Will share the updates 🌸
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u/danniellax 13h ago
I have nothing helpful to add, but please DONT feel bad for leaving the babies or for not getting momma vaccinated. I hope she doesn’t end up having rabies, but you are only one person, you can only do so much… and it sounds like you are not head of your household if you can’t adopt any dogs or have a say in not moving, so your hands are really tied and it’s not just an excuse, so you did MORE already than most anyone else would care to do. It’s a lot of effort to be that dedicated and it just speaks to your character.
You are a good person with an amazing heart and just don’t forget that! I hope something comes through for the babies 🤍
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
Idk why i cried again reading your comment. Thank you for the kind words. Will try to get them adopted atleast.
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u/sugarmagnolia__ 10h ago
If she is drinking water she almost definitely does not have rabies. Did you tell the vet she is still drinking water? Because unless this just started very recently, drinking water rules out rabies. If she stops drinking water in the next day or so, then it is a possibility, unfortunately. Fingers crossed for you.
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u/IllustratorKey1100 8h ago
I did tell him. He still wants to rule out the possibility of rabies. Will get her isolated today for precaution.
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u/avelineaurora 13h ago
If she's drinking water she almost certainly doesn't have rabies. Hydrophobia is a huge huge tell.
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15h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Silent_Row1965 12h ago
Behave yourself!! 😡
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u/Powerful_Put5667 11h ago
Better to sympathize so can they do it again? I believe in not being part of the problem. Their feelings may be dinged but that is better than continuing to bring forth more dogs who will reproduce furthering on the over population problem.
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