Wednesday, September 21

Today it was Slumberland around here.

Sam really wanted to play but didn't have the energy. Every time she'd try to tackle Bree, Bree would just collapse and start hacking. Every time Sam would try, I'd do the PIN technique on her to let her know I was displeased with her attempting to play.

Bree is listless and thirsty. I'm concerned now because we've found out they haven't been heartworm tested. I'm thinking that if they aren't noticably better by Monday, I'll contact NDLB to see if we can get them back in and have that test, as well as a parvo test, done.

Potty training is going beautifully, however. Sam had one little accident this evening but that was my fault. I'd eaten dinner and was sitting in a stupor on the couch. She was letting me know it was time by walking around and I ignored her.

Tomorrow we're going to work on letting me know when they need to go out. Pushing the potty runs out to 2+ hours.

Overall they are delightful and wonderfully well-behaved puppies. They've started to get their CHEW on, tho, and so we got them some real bones. Too much rawhide cannot be good for their tummies -- switch to the "hard stuff" for a few days. Sam is funny when she steals a shoe -- she shows off by prancing past me with it. Like "I know I'm not supposed to have this...!!!"

This short-term foster situation has turned into a long-term situation, I'm thinking. They won't be ready for surgery for AT LEAST 10 days; surgery spots are hard to get so that might take as much as 2 more weeks. It would be good to think they could be ready for their new homes by Halloween. I hope sooner -- I have to go back to work on October 10. I hate to leave them home all day by themselves at this crucial time for potty training.

Tuesday, September 20

Potty at 1 a.m. went well. Both went #1 and #2 and were ready to go back to bed, with pacifiers, immediately.

They're getting into the routine around here. They sit under the cutting board even tho we've not given them scraps. It is very cute that they've figured this out.

Sabrina is completely listless now. She goes out to potty, she eats with little gusto, and then she goes back to sleep. Her favorite spot is in the sun in the dining room or by the heat vent in the living room.

Samantha is definitely worse today as well. She doesn't hardly even trot around outside and she just leans against my legs when we go outside to potty.

Vet appointment at 2 showed that they both have kennel cough, inflamed tracheas, and Sabrina also has an urinary tract infection. I saw blood spots on her when she peed yesterday so they ran a sample. Sabrina was given a shot of anti-inflammatories and two antibiotics; Samantha got one antibiotic. They slept the whole way home from the vet -- we had to swing down to Hopkins to pick up the kids and we took them potty at the park. Then they went back to sleep.

I'm supposed to keep a close eye on them -- if Sabrina's breathing becomes more labored I'm to call the Emergency Vet and take her in. She's just gaspy and heavey when she walks around flat-footed. She doesn't even try to trot about.

At home they ate their dinners and the meds, and went back to sleep. Sabrina's fever is still pretty high and they're listless.

No accidents today and we're out to almost an hour between potty trips. However, they're too tired to be naughty.

Bedtime went well -- they're used to the crate now and actually go in there (with the door open) to nap. It is hard to see how miserable they are.

Monday, September 19

Pups are really sticking close to me when out for pottying. Almost too close and I nearly fall each time I trip over them.

The fact that they're white is helpful at night-time. I can see them at all times and can also make out when they're actually peeing or pooping in the dark.

Sabrina's cough is now continual, not just on exertion. She is really gasping for breath with any sort of exercise. Her eyes are mattering and her nose is running and she just looks so pathetic. She's so thin. She is apparently not spayed and we need to get that done, but she cannot go under anesthesia if she's got a respiratory complication. NDLB people say to let it run its course but they're not here to see how bad she is. I continue to press them to let me take her in, and they tell me to go ahead.

Samantha is really learning her name and is very much the playful one. However, now she tries to pounce on grasshoppers and once she starts, she starts to cough. Her nose is runny now too. She's still trying to play a little but its getting harder and harder for her.

Both pups are great off-leash at this point. Once in a while they head for the paddock, which scares the hell out of me.

Another funny thing they do is bark and howl when my phone rings. It is HILARIOUS.

Still working the potty trips outside every 20 minutes. Two poop accidents today, both Bree, and two pees (one for each) but not bad for not-trained pups. Will push back to half hour tonight and an hour tomorrow.

Vet appointment is scheduled for tomorrow at 2.

Pups went to bed with no protest. They each had a pacifier and seemed to get off to sleep right away at 9.

Sunday, September 18

After a little dancing around with the people at NDLB, the puppies finally arrived. Tho they weren't entirely sure which was Samantha and which was Sabrina, we determined that we thought that Sabrina was the smaller one. She was also cowering in the pile of laundry that the NDLB woman had in her SUV. Adorable. Samantha came out like she was the more adventurous (which she's not) and, after a few minutes on-leash, they both went potty and came into the house.

Hersheys, our resident dog, was kept crated until we thought she was used to the sight of the pups. There was no aggression and they settled together quite quickly.

Sabrina has a little hack, non-productive.

Fed the pups, starting at 1 cup each, and the first feeding showed how starved these girls are. Puppies always eat like its their first and last meal. This, however, was classic starvation. Not sure where these pups came from but apparently there was no food there. They also seem excessively thirsty.

Trained the KIDS to give pups an ort of kibble each time they came when called. This will change to an ort when they potty but we want them to stay near us.

I went hashing but reports from home said that there were only a few accidents and the pups were good about pottying when outside.

First night we tried separate crates. A half hour of howling proved that this is not going to work. Came downstairs, put them together with a "pacifier" (kong with a little peanut butter and a few orts of kibble) for each of them. Silence in a half hour. They slept well til 1 a.m. when I took them out to potty.

Sabrina's cough has worsened.