Mysti Makes Progress

Well, Mysti gave us quite a scare, and she's not completely out of the woods yet. The vet had to make three incisions in her intestine and stomach to get a foot-long toy out of her gut. It was one of those stuffing-less foxes. Her intestine looked pink and normal at first, but it immediately bruised when he got the toy out. He was really concerned by that, and put her chances of survival at 50-50. We didn't sleep very well on Monday night.

Yesterday was better for us -- she made it safely through the night and we got to visit her in the afternoon. She was pretty loopy, but recognized us and was able to sit up. The vet was still concerned about the bruising and mentioned that we might have to make some decisions about further surgery or something else I can't think about. But, he also told us that she would probably be okay if she made it through the first 48 hours. We slept better last night. Here she was yesterday:

This morning, the vet said she had done very well overnight -- no fever -- and they were going to try to get her to drink some water and eat some special canned food. He'd let us know how she had done.

I got a call from the vet a little before noon asking if we could go to his office and "coax" Mysti to eat and drink because she just wouldn't. I headed there and texted Pepper about it because he was on the golf course. As I was pulling into the parking lot, Pepper called to say that I needn't go -- they had gotten her to eat, but I could visit her if I wanted. I had brought some chicken broth for her (that I didn't get to give her because she needs the special food), so I thought I'd go on in.

She was out of the "confinement" pen and the IV was out! She wagged her tail and smiled at me! She had eaten five bites of food when hand-fed by the vet's wife. I got to walk her outside where she piddled and and was positively bouncy! I got her to eat about half a can of food (hand-feeding, of course!) and drink a good bit of water. She really wanted to go with me when I left -- I felt so mean. But we might get to bring her home this afternoon to be her nurses (and personal servants), so I am cautiously optimistic. Here she was earlier (No, Pepper didn't beat me up -- I'm having some allergy issues.):

There was a message on the answering machine from Dr. Barnett when I got home -- he had called as I was driving to the office. It was kinda cute -- he said that they had gotten her to eat a little, but only by lying down in the pen with her, hand-feeding her, and that "she was quite the drama queen." Heh.

So it looks like Dr. Barnett has saved the lives of two of our dogs. I hope he never gets the opportunity to do so again. But, he'll get a wonderful Christmas card from Moogie's Manor! And probably a donation to his favorite charity.

A Note from The Labradors' Manor (previously known as MOOGIE'S Manor!)

Well, the two remaining black boys found wonderful homes so we're down to one puppy, Little Miss Yap (Lagniappe):

She has learned to walk on a leash (usually) and she poops outside (usually). The piddle thing is hit and miss. She'll (usually) piddle outside if taken there, but sometimes the notion hits her while she's inside and she (usually) doesn't bother to make the effort to go outside before she squats.

Bouie is learning to tolerate her, but he's not as playful with her as he was with Mysti when she was a pup. that could be a result of either age or of being totally overwhelmed by puppies lately.

But, the family that plays together stays together!

She seems to be making herself right at home.  I think we might be in trouble.

Her sweet Mama, Mysti, isn't one to let puppy toys remain unshredded.  I'm afraid that habit might have gotten her in trouble.  As I type, she's at the vet, undergoing a barium scan because we're afraid she has an obstruction. When Miss Mysti refuses pizza crust and chicken tenders, there's something badly amiss. Please keep her in your thoughts -- I'm a little scared.

A Message From Puppyville

Geez. It's been more than a month since I posted! Who had any idea how much work a litter of pups can be. Certainly not us!

They're 8 1/2 weeks old now, have had their first shots, and been checked out by the vet. No worms! That's the best part! They're cute and smart and energetic.

And 6 of them have found new forever homes.

It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to let them go, but it's getting harder. Two have gone to family members -- to the Son and Younger Daughter. One has gone to my late best friend's brother's family in Jonesboro. One went to the parents of Younger Daughter's late friend. Another went to the family of one of the Girls' high school buddies. Last night a young E-4 Guardsman and his sweet little family came to take Tank (the largest puppy) home with them. So,then there were three.

One (maybe two) will stay with us. We're contemplating donating one to a service organization for training as a service/companion dog -- maybe Wounded Warriors or Lighthouse for the Blind. Remaining at Moogie's Manor are who we call (L - R) Count Pounce of Bouligny, Bouligny's Mystic Lagniappe (Yep, Murphy, I stole your pup's name! We call her Yap.), and Malcolm in the Middle:

See how big they've gotten! Yesterday evening, the pup (now known as Chelsea) who went to live with the Son's family at "Paulsons' House of Chaos" came for a visit. They played so hard that they were little more than a blur!

This video is a few weeks old, but shows them in action:


Cleaning up after all nine was a chore, but cleaning up after three 8 1/2 week old growing bladders leads me to give you an investment tip: buy stock in paper towel companies! Here are a few more captured cutenesses:

 I have the most toys, so I win.

What do you mean it's morning?

Sleepy? Who's sleepy?

Well, I may have already crossed that threshhold.

Life is good.