4 Weeks Old: Helo

We only had one puppy make it to 4 weeks old. We called him Helo (previously known as #7/ Mr. Teal). This photo was taken at 10 AM on Wednesday, November 8, 2006. He was so spunky and walking around then, and he was already gaining weight for the day. We really felt very hopeful about him, against all odds, I suppose. But 18 hours later (at 4:30 AM) he was so desperately ill that Jason took him to the Emergency Animal Hospital, unable to leave him suffering even until our 8 AM appointment at White Rock.

And so the puppies are all gone. Mr. Purple and Miss Navy (dear White Tips) both failed very quickly-- a matter of hours from the start of neuro symptoms until the end-- only a day apart. For White Tips and Helo we pulled out all the stops--even trying some experimental steroid therapy Jason read about on the Internet. But nothing could stop this terrible disease.

Of course we are so sad. We truly loved those darling pups. And we will never forget our experience with them-- what an incredible month! But as Ben told his teacher this morning, "We tried our best". And really, that is all anyone can ever do for another creature. And we don't regret trying-- Hannah is a beautiful, wonderful dog who will be completely devoted to some lucky family-- and she wouldn't be here if we hadn't been willing to try.

Fresh Start

We lost 5 puppies this past week. It was heartbreaking if not unexpected. But we are ready to regroup and move on with the three big, healthy, pups we have left and their strong mama.

Our life is much different today. These three pups are good nursers and not so dependent on the supplement bottles. They don't need tube feedings or eye treatments or other time consuming interventions. They are strong enough to get up and walk around, so we reconfigured their area so that they have a little penned yard coming off of their pool/bed. They enjoy walking out there to pee and play, and then walk back into the bed to nurse. They can see us moving about now, and they can watch Hannah when she gets up to take a drink or get something to eat. We put away all of the IV fluids and syringes and medicines except their antibiotics, so there is less of a hospital atmosphere going. They have started to play with their puppy toys and they like to get attention from their human family.

We feel we still have a chance of pulling these last pups through with Hannah, and we are savoring these hard-earned, precious puppy moments.

The surviving pups are:

• Miss Navy/#8 (aka White Tips)
• Mr. Purple/ #4 (aka Big Guy or Rottweiler)
  
• Mr. Teal/ #7 (aka Chocolate or Brownie)

Goodbye, Littlest Loves

We lost Mr. White & Mr. Green on Saturday. Mr. Green had been ill since the wee hours of Thursday morning but fought hard for over 48 hours. Mr. White became suddenly very ill on Saturday afternoon, with seizures and a pained cry that even large doses of Valium couldn't calm. I took them to Banfield early Saturday evening. You might think it would be getting easier to do, having done it three other times this week, but it actually gets harder each time. We loved little Mr. White and Mr. Green so much, and we all really, really wanted them to be OK. But they were both so pitiful at the end, there was no question that they were suffering and it was time to let them go. Hannah was frantic and whining, getting in the bed with them, then getting out and coming to me, silently pleading with me to help them. Even Ben said "I don't think they can make it, Mom." And so we let the "teeny tiniest" and his small brother (who had lost so much weight, they looked like twins again) go together.

Three Weeks Old!

What a whirlwind these last three weeks have been. It definitely isn't what we imagined it would be, but it has been even more in some ways. Tonight we had some puppy playtime, and it was so fun for all of us just to sit and enjoy some puppy love. They are walking more and starting to bat at things and play a bit. 4 of the 5 grew well today, and Mr. White has stubbornly not grown well since the beginning, so it may not be an ominous sign. Everyone's eyes look great today too- whew!

And HANNAH is feeling SO good today. She absolutely insisted on multiple walks in the brisk fall weather, and she was ready to run. She is back to being a REALLY strong dog. She has so much love and gratitude in her eyes, and she is doing so well-- it makes it worth while for sure.

The pups that are left are a lively bunch. On the occasion of their three week birthday, we decided to share some more photos of each one.

Mr. Teal/ #7 aka Chocolate

I can't believe that this is my first post about Mr. Teal, who is one of our very favorite puppies. He is nearly all brown, with just a few dabs of white on him. He is very, very soft. And he is in the midst of a tremendous growth spurt-- yay! Jason thinks he resembles a wolf pup, I think he looks like a cattle dog. His eyes have not yet been goopy-- and they are gorgeous!

Miss Navy/ #8 (aka White Tips)

White Tips is a source of joy for all of us. She is so soft and so lively, and we have felt a special bond with her since the beginning. She is now our only girl, and that makes her extra-special too! Plus she is the very best eater every day.

Mr. Purple/ #4

Mr. Purple is now the BMOC of our puppy crew and he's got the strut to show it. We didn't find a scale to our liking, so he made his 2nd trip to the post office to get weighed in tonight!