Thursday, one of our prize sires - Jax - passed away suddenly after developing an intestinal blockage. Jax was the name his guardian owners in Pittsfield, MA gave him, but we at Powderhill knew him by the name he earned as a puppy, Rudi.
Rudi was the smallest of eight puppies born to DeeDee and Woody just over four years ago. He was extremely small. So small, in fact, that we took him to the vet at just a few weeks of age to make sure that there was nothing wrong with him. He was absolutely fine we were told - just small in stature. That was an understatement.
But as small as Rudi was, he commanded our attention with his audacious actions. The other puppies who were well more than twice his size lagged behind Rudi in almost every way. Rudi was the first puppy in the group to be able to get out of the plastic pool in which we kept litters. He would follow us out of the puppy room, through the living room and into the kitchen for his special helping of cottage cheeze or yogurt - anything that we thought would put some weight on him!
Rudi's size was scary small. The family who purchased him and took him home to Fairfield County quickly brought him back to us because they were afraid he would get stepped on. At that point our Guardian Home in Pittsfield stepped in and took Rudi as their own. After re-naming him "Jax," he flourished over the next year, growing to almost his standard size and weight. Jax's wonderful red color and white markings were matched only by his playful, obedient demeanor.
Jax sired a handful of litters at Powderhill, including one with Gracie that is due to deliver later this month. He was also due for another pairing with Gracie in Spring, 2020.
According to the attending veterinarian, Jax probably swallowed something which then lodged in his intestine. By the time the problem was finally diagnosed, too much damage had been done and Jax's vet advised that he be put to sleep. He was four years old.
It's sad to see any dog pass away, and this loss takes a heavy toll on all of us at Powderhill and our Guardian family. Jax had the heart of a lion and we draw comfort in knowing that he's now bounding around the endless fields of gold in heaven.
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