My Puppy’s First Month

Day 1

Yippee! He's finally here! The sweetest, smartest, most beautiful puppy in the world is asleep at my feet while I'm writing this. I want to remember everything about his first days and weeks with us. We have waited so long!

Puppy threw up once in the car on the way home (yuck) but seems fine otherwise. Just car-sick, I guess. We bought him the special puppy food he's been eating, but he doesn't seem hungry. Probably too much excitement, and plumb wore out. I called Jenny, his breeder; she said not to worry yet-puppyll probably eat when he wakes up. Our old kitty isn't too thrilled with the new addition to the family. Hissed and spit when puppy tried to make friends.

Later: still won't eat puppy food. I gave him some milk and a slice of deli turkey. Hope that's okay. He gobbled em up like he's starving. Poor thing! Maybe well buy a different puppy food tomorrow. 

Day 2

Guess milk wasn't such a great idea. Puppy woke us up at midnight, then every hour after that. Diarrhea! I phoned the emergency veterinary clinic. They explained that a lot of puppies can't digest milk once they're weanedWho knew?and told me to give him some Kaopectate and water but no more food tonight. Since he seems to feel fine otherwise, and theres no blood in his stool, we decided to take a watch-and-wait approach. He's asleep now that its daylight, and I'm ready for a nap myself!

Later: Puppy threw up some yellow foam and a piece of spaghetti?! Off to the vet clinic. Puppy had a normal temperature but was dehydrated from the diarrhea. Dr. Thoroughgood did a test for parvovirus, which thank heavens was negative, and a fecal check that confirmed roundworms (that's what he threw up, not a noodle!). She gave puppy some rehydrating fluids with an injection under his skin and yellow liquid medicine to get rid of the worms. Puppy needs easy-to-digest, bland food, so I'm fixing a mixture of two parts rice baby cereal and warm water, plus one part turkey baby food. If all goes well (no more diarrhea), we can start mixing in his kibbles tomorrow. He loves his mush, and feels like playing again. Yay!

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