We took Camero to Amanda's boss this morning; Dr. Kip Temm.  He was looking worse.  We'd prop him up with fluids and he'd get better, but not as good as the best he'd been.  Then each low point was a little lower.  I blamed myself for not feeding at the exact right interval (not even knowing what would be precicely best) or sometimes being clumsy with the syringe we used to drip-feed him.

I introduced Camero to his "Uncle Kip."  Dr. Temm wanted to see Camero as much for the professional interest as anything else.  He'd never seen a pup with such a problem.  I suspect hundreds of Cameros are quietly put down every day, the breeder never mentioning the problem to the public, a veterinarian never consulted.  I suspect very strongly that my honest descriptions of our trials and tribulations drive good customers away, into the hands of breeders who aren't so honest. 

Dr. Temm looked at the jaw and said it was broken on both sides, which didn't seem to be the case earlier.  Camero's mouth was also looking much worse.  He advised me that he wanted to put a pin, maybe two, in his little jaw.  The gas might kill him, but the broken jaw would definately kill him.  It was a no-brainer to me, do the surgery.  "You'll have to hand feed him."  I've been doing that for days anyway.

Dr. Temm suggested, "You'd be interested in watching this.  I've successfully done it on cats about his size."  I told him that I would be interested in watching the procedure, when he did it on someone else's pet.  I got to see the tools, and the wire the pin is made from.  The tools haven't changed much since they were invented in the Victorian era.  Shades of Tim Burton movies came to mind.  Camero was under the gas on the table.  And I left the room.  Very few folks get to see what I get to see on a regular basis, unless they are employed in the veterinary field.

It turns out there was some sort of infection that got into the fracture and it was eating the bone.  Makes sense now why his mouth was turning black and blue and why a jaw broken apparently on one side was now broken on two.  So under the gas, he got an injection that allowed him to pass on.  He hadn't been in pain, but he'd have never made it much longer and pain was the next thing that would have happened. 

Camero was loved and we did the very best we could for him.  I think we learned from the experience and are better dog breeders for it.