Ummmmm....I think.....hold on a sec........
Ok....not quite......more pukeyness happening as I write........be right back!
OK! Now I'm back! I hope!
First of all........Sending HUGE apologies!! I know a few of you; my beloved followers, have been checking in with me to see if everything is alright. Thank you for your thoughts and your support!
I promised myself this would be a daily blog but I just couldn't summon ANY energy..... let alone positive energy, to write. So until I am back completely....this will have to be a "when i feel like it and have a moment" blog. Thanks for understanding!!
PHEW!!! It has been quite a week! Here is a brief synapsis. (Well maybe not brief as detailed here, but believe me when I say....this is definitely the shortened version!!!!!!!!!!)
Brought Meeko home...all was well....except for 3 very sleepless nights with lots of whining, wimpering, and squealing like a stuck pig. He Hated/HATES the crate!! So I tethered him to one of the bed legs (sounds bad, but is really just to keep him from wondering loose around the house and messing everywhere), made him a comfy bed on the floor right next to me, added a heartbeat toy, purchased a "calming" spray for dogs made with dog pheromones(yeah...really!), several special chewies, and a soft pink stuffed piggy(which he sleeps on top of every night). Finally night 4 was much better after laying with him while he fell asleep gently stroking his head, ears and tummy (just like a baby). He slept a whole 4 hours!!!! Woohoo!
He was an angel puppy during the day! Very sweet, licky, playful, eating and sleeping well.
I thought...OK...this is great! Things are going quite well! A few more nights and I will not feel so dead tired and will catch up on my sleep deprived brain!
Not so fast!! So suddenly our little Boomer.....starts to have the runs and is puking all over the place. Then he has a fever. Hs ears are bright red. Then there is blood in his poop. (Now those of you who know & have seen Boomer....he has alot of hair around his rear end. Lots of LONG hair. So what happens when a dog like that has diarrhea? YUP! Lots of butt washing!unless you want it scooted on your bedding and carpet, and couch!)
A little panic alarm goes off in my head and I jump on the computer to google his symptoms. Sure enough.....all signs point to the deadly canine parvo-virus. EXACTLY what I was afraid of. This was on a Sunday. So of course we have to wait till Monday to take him in to the vet so as to avoid astronomical emergency fees. On Monday, he goes in for all sorts of testing; fecal, physical exam, blood tests, giardia testing, etc. They also wanted to take xrays. I knew in my heart that this wasn't any type of blockage! Boomer is not a chewer! He never ingests anything foreign. Ever! He barely eats his own dinner; he's that picky! Anyway....all those tests ( and $400.00 later Thank you very much!) came back negative! Thank God! BUT SERIOUSLY????!!!!!!!! So we figure he had the dreaded, " I hate you for bringing that crappy puppy into my house when I was top dog, so I am going to SH%$#@, and puke all over your house to make you pay" disease!!!!
He's on antibiotics, just in case, and anti-diarrheal medication to coat his tummy, and a special "sensitive" tummy diet. HA! What a joke! WHY oh WHY...do I love these dogs so??
In the meantime and during all of this......Meeko also starts vomiting, and squealing and jumping up from a deep sleep. What in the world is going on?? So I call the breeder and relay all his symptoms, ( while bawling; remember I am running on 3 hours sleep a night and you know what that can do to emotions and rational thinking) but she didn't seem too concerned as long as he was eating and drinking fine and his poop was normal. Which it and he was! He also wasn't listless. So.....aong with watching Boomer closely and butt washing I am now watching Meeko closely. Of course all the while I still have my normal life of taking care and chaufeuring my 3 children around.
Then.........I think Fudge was feeling left out....because the next morning he starts puking on the carpet. At least Boomer and Meeko had the courtesy to do it on the hardwood floor. OMG! Now I'm really reeling!! ENOUGH!!!! (I'm screaming in my head!) Thankfully his was very short lived.....the outcome of chewing and eating an entire bully stick in one sitting.
Ok....so now we have Boomer under control (although I think his poor snow white butt hair is permanently discolored!) , and Fudge is good, and Meeko is....well.......he's the one who puked earlier when I started to sit down to start this blog post. He now apparently has worms and will need another de-worming asap! (Thank goodness for the new puppy wellness program at the vet which covers all deworming necessary!) Poor little guy...this is why he was so uncomfortable and couldn't keep any of his food down. Those damn worms! All puppies are born with worms and require several dewormings to get things under control. He's apparently already had 3 or 4 deworming sessions but the poor little guy needs some more. Sooooooooooooooooo....I'm hoping that,.... after that is taken care of we will be in the clear and can begin to enjoy our new little addition.
Boomer's energy has turned around and he was even being a bit more playful with his new little brother today.
Ah yes....there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Lastly.....Meeko even slept for a full SEVEN , (yes, 7!) hours last night! Mind you.....this could in part be because he was so exhausted from puppy playground at the Humane Society last night. He had a blast, but was zonked! Yeah for me!!
He also had his first puppy class today, and he is a star student! He very quickly learned his sit, stand, keep off , and leave it commands. He even learned a trick, "spin". What a Good Boy!!
I am also glad and proud to report that he is a very compliant "potty-er". He whines when he has to go out, runs to the back door, and promptly gets down to business. He is also a very polite pooper....and EVERY SINGLE TIME, does it behind our set of trees right near the fence on top of a pile of leaves and bark. he has never once yet gone on the grass. So courteous! It saves our grass and my pooper scooping duties! LOVE that pup!!
AND(the last thing I promise!)...he even spent a few minutes in his closed crate today without whining!! (while bribed with a KONG full of peanut butter and cheese; but whatever works!)
We will slowly start to build on that time daily until he's up to an hour or two at a time without whimpering.
YUP! Things are definitely looking up!
But I have to say....I felt like I was in the 'Twilight Zone' for awhile there. I have never, ever, had this tumultuous of an experience bringing a new puppy home before. It was either all very bad luck & timing, or......well I do not know really. I am just thanking my lucky stars it's almost over and everyone is well!
Till.....soon.
