Roepman's Story, the short version



Roepman was my second Bulldog. He died at 3 months old. This happened last year.

He had left the breeder at 6 weeks (too young) with a full health clear. We took him to puppy school (second mistake). It rained lightly. He got sick. Our own vet suspected a long palate [reductively, it's not the palate that's too long, it's the face that's too short] and treated accordingly. He got well.

I noticed that he slept with his head stretched backwards and did not know at the time it was the only way he could breathe. I just thought it was cute. He often sat like that as well. After mild activity he would vomit foam. While eating he would stop breathing completely and fall down, his tongue and gums blue. 

I'd never thought that doggy-CPR would come so naturally to me.

The second time he stopped breathing and I got him going again, we bypassed our usual vet and drove to a Bulldog specialist in another town with Roepman on my lap and me holding his head up between my hands the whole way. 

Up until then we'd been planning to have the palate reassessed at 8 months, which is when most of these ops take place.

It was a Friday. The second vet said to see the surgeon no later than Monday. Op was done on Tuesday to shorten the palate and remove excess tissue. The op was a success. For two days or so it seemed that we would have our dog back, after all. 

Then he got aspirational pneumonia from blood entering his lungs. We had been warned about this. His trachea was too narrow to expel the mucus. Oxygen helped, but its effect was temporary. 

We travelled to the veterinary hospital three times a day, promising ourselves and each other that if he's not better the next time we would let him go. It took a week for us to give up and end his suffering. I wish we'd done it sooner.



Roepman had one of the longest, thickest palates the second vet had ever seen. The surgeon showed us an x-ray of his trachea. He never had a chance.

I hope people understand why I, as an ordinary member of the public, require Bulldog health reforms and ethical, scrupulous breeding.

Once again, thank you for all the help I'm getting from CBC members and others. I do not blame anybody. I do not judge anybody. I will learn from everybody.

And make up my own mind in the end.












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