Labrador Retriever Forum
I want everyone to know how potentially dangerous those tall orange water buckets from Home Depot are.
And just so you know, I am a freak about safety issues, and have protected my puppies from snakes, hawks, coyotes, diseases, shart objects, injuries, you name it. I am the person who my friends call for advice when anything happens....
I have three 11-week-old puppies from my last litter who play out in the big dogs' yard when I am home. I have the big water bucket filled for the big dogs and have sat and watched the babies drink out of it safely. They put their paws up on the lip and stick their heads down and drink...no problem, right?
Last evening they were out there, I was putting groceries away and checking on them every 5 or 10 minutes. I walked out, couldn't find my black boy, and to my horror, saw him stuck in the bucket, stiff, with his eyes bulging open, not breathing. I struggled to pull him out, held him upside down, hit him between the shoulders, shook him gently, and tried to get his tongue out to get an airway. Water came trickling out of him. His jaws were locked shut and stiff. His tongue and gums were PALE BLUE. Still no breathing but I heard a faint moan. I continued to stimulate him and finally pulled his tounge, did mouth-to-nose rescucitation, and finally, after about 90 seconds or so, I saw a little breath. I continued to get water out of him, and continued to help him breathe. Long story short, I jumped in the car and took him to the emergency hospital, in my lap with his head lowered, and had to stop every so often to get a better airway. By the time I got there, he was lifting up his head but was still very mentally dull and had an increased respiratory effort, with raspy sounds.
I won't even tell you about my hysterical behavior at the emergency hospital when they took him away from me and wouldn't let me see him for 30 minutes!!! At this point, I was dying a thousand deaths, after just having literally saved the life of a baby I had brought into the world 11 weeks earlier. I am medically trained and they would NOT let me help, would not get a history from me or tell me what was going on with him. I was beyond frantic!
Anyway, he is still hospitalized on oxygen and a diuretic, but is doing better.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: I was told that the worst part of near-drowning or smoke inhalation (they are similar because of the inflammation and swelling they cause to the respiratory system) is 12 TO 24 HOURS LATER. Dogs (and people) can aparently present as relatively okay, and get acute respiratory failure later. I did not know this, and it's important if this ever happens to you to take your pet to the emergency hospital. A ventilator may be neccessary. So far, knock on wood, my puppy is doing okay, but we're just getting into the dangerous part. He is still considered critical.
Please send your puppy prayers up today for my little guy, it woudn't hurt.
Me? I was just able to face that bucket a few minutes ago and remove it from the yard. I will never get that image of an essentially dead puppy out of my mind, ever.
Looking back on the incident, I remember it being hard to get him away from the bucket to revive him. I'm not sure if he got stuck under the handle and was not able to remove himself, but looking at the bucket this morning, that's the only thing I can think of.
All I can say is: It was your basic out-of-body experience, and I'm sharing my story so people who read this never have to go through what I did. 
Thanks for the additional warning about the toilet, Bonnie. Another thing along those lines that I thought of is that puppies this age don't know their bodies yet, cuz they keep changing! They're too immature and inexperienced to make the wise decisions an older dog makes many times a day. And just when they think their bodies can handle something, it changes. And WE often have a tough time knowing what's okay and what's not for our puppies, safety-wise for the same reason. I thought I knew it all, or had experienced it all, and when you start thinking like that, something like this happens. I just can't get that image of him out of my mind, so that will keep me vigilant forever.
Update on Murray: He is off the oxygen now and sleeping, still having an increased respiratory rate, but it's much better, and he's pink according to the doctor I spoke with an hour ago. If he continues to do well, she said I can probably pick him up late this afternoon. I am guardedly optomistic!
My sweet Murray was named after my father (his middle name), who passed away 2 years ago, and whose birthday is today! Some people say there are no "coincidences." 
Just to update everyone on Murray the near-drowning puppy: He is home with me as of last night, and acting like a completely normal puppy, maybe a bit fatigued/increased respiratory rate, but it doesn't stop him from doing normal puppy things.
I still cannot fathom how a "dead-appearing" puppy comes out of this completely normal, I mean he was not breathing, he was not moving and he was stiff, pale, and unresponsive. It's just a miracle. I don't think I will ever understand it, but know now at almost 54 years of age: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! I feel blessed to see him playing and being a rowdy puppy...it's all gravy! 
I was cautioned by the emergency vet that he may develop aspiration pneumonia and to watch him carefully and take his temp every 8 hours. So far, so good. He truly is a miracle puppy! Thanks everyone for all your prayers and good wishes 
Great to hear a positive outcome on this near tragedy. 
