Friday PM Puppy Update

Well, it's good news and bad news again.

The bad news is that Mr. Blue and Mr. Lime (our two chunky monkeys -- the biggest boys of the litter) are really struggling today. So much so that Dr. Wagner called at lunchtime to let me know he was worried about them. Bless his heart, I think he was trying to soften the blow in case we lost either of them this afternoon (which, apparently was, and still may be, a real possibility).

The good news is that both are still alive (we'll take whatever good news we can get at this point). The longer we get into this with them still fighting and surviving, the more likely it is they'll turn around and actually rebound from this thing.

More good news is that Mr. White (known affectionately by the vet staff as "Bones" because of the white bones on his collar) dramatically improved in the last 24 hours. Yesterday, I seriously thought we might lose him (I cried all the way home from the vet's last evening because he seemed to be doing so poorly -- and then dreaded hearing the phone ring all night and early this morning thinking it would be news that he was gone).

Today, however, Mr White is up on his feet, barking, whining to be held, chewing on my gloved fingers, pawing at the cage door, jumping up on his hind legs, interactive. He's acting like Miss Sky and Mr. Green did when they made it over their last hurdle. I could barely believe the difference when I saw him today. It was like night and day. Much to my joy and relief, it looks like Mr. White may have made it through the worst of it.

So the status of the seven pups still at the vet hospital is this:

• Mr. White and Mr. Yellow were the most interactive and the most improved. If they continue with this kind of improvement, they might even be able to come home Sunday or Monday (on meds and a special diet, like Sky and Green, but home nonetheless).
  
• Mr. Black seems improved from yesterday (stood up, sat, licked my fingers, seemed aware of us), but not as much improved as Mr. Yellow and Mr. White. He's still punky and not himself, but he is improving.
  
• Miss Pink and Mr. Red seem about the same (so-so, holding their own, but at least not declining).
  
• Mr. Lime and Mr. Blue are struggling to survive.

I find some comfort in knowing that where Mr. Blue and Mr. Lime are today (in awful shape) is exactly where Mr. White seemed to be yesterday. But today, Mr. White is almost himself again (even protesting his IV!). If the same pattern holds true for the rest, we should be seeing a turn for the better overnight and tomorrow morning. We're hoping that's the case for the whole gang, but especially Mr. Lime and Mr. Blue -- that today is just their last bump to get through, and tomorrow they might be more like themselves.

Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Miss Sky and Mr. Green are much happier: they had FOUR meatballs each for dinner. :o) And they're beginning to act like the pups we knew before this awful virus announced itself here last week (even starting to sit again to get our attention). ;o)

Parvo is really nasty business. I knew enough to dread it, but had no idea just how brutal it can be until I saw what it can do firsthand. Now I absolutely despise it.

Thankfully we have wonderful veterinarians who are willing to fight it and work with us and come along side us and our pups to help the little guys survive it (apparently some vets, and lots of kennel owners, don't bother and just let parvo pups die).

Our vets won't give up (and haven't) and neither will we.

I'll update you tomorrow after I do my morning check-in call.

'Til then,
Joan