That darn Glaucoma!

Well it turns out you can treat the eye pressure in glaucoma, which kept it from giving me really bad headaches. But slowly, my eyesight got worse and worse. Mom and Dad took me to another puppy eye doctor, and she was even nicer than the one before, but then, I'm such a superstar, everyone loves me!

Eventually I couldn't see anything out of my left eye, but I knew it was there 'cause it hurt all the time, the pressure just wouldn't stay down, even with two drops and a pill three times a day! Dr Beal said she could just take out that nasty old eye and I wouldn't have any more pain - and she was right! I felt so much better after that. But then my other eye started to hurt, and it went dark eventually, too. So Dr Beal took the pain out with my right eye. It's not so bad - I get around just fine! And I'm still the alpha around here, don't you forget it!

Glaucoma? But I'm only 4!

Just before my 4th birthday, mom and dad took me to the eye doctor because my left eye was all cloudy and I felt just terrible. The doctor told us I have glaucoma, which is building pressure behind the eye. No wonder I had such a bad headache! Anyway, he gave me medicine, a tiny pill and 2 different drops that mom and dad give me twice a day. Sometimes I don't see as good as I used to, but for te most part, I'm back to normal.

I'm not that old!

Wow - I've got glaucoma! Mom says I'm too young to have an old person's eye disease, but I've got it anyway. They've got eye doctors for dogs - who knew? He was real gentle with me, and the office is fun. I get drops in my eyes every day, that's not so bad, and the tiniest pills I've ever seen. I hardly even notice when I eat one. My eye was blurry for a while, but then the pressure came down and I can see good as new now. Everyone should always remember to get their dog's eye pressure checked. It's not expensive, and if you catch glaucoma early, it's very treatable.

Play! Play! Play!

With my sons around, I feel like a puppy again myself! We play all the time, and that's how I teach them to defend themselves, by roughing them up. Oh! My human brother, Paul, decided to be dad to the puppy that looks like me, so he's staying, too! His name is Toby (actually Tobias)

My babies

My boys are almost 8 weeks old already!! The oldest is going to a real nice family that lives close by, so maybe I'll still be able to see him sometimes. The next oldest is going to live with an attorney in Washington, DC - how exciting for him!! My third son, he's the one that looks like me, is still waiting for his perfect person to find him, and my youngest, Maximus, I get to keep him with me, which is good because he needs me to keep him out of trouble!!
So many people come to visit us, it's always so much fun!! I don't have to nurse the boys anymore, although they don't seem to always understand that, always chasing me around!!

The boys are growing!

My four sons are 3 weeks old already! They have tripled their weight, and are now about 1.5 pounds each. Yesterday they had their first real food. Mom made them a plate of baby rice cereal mixed with puppy weaning formula goat's milk. I though there was no way they'd do anything but take a bath in it, (you know how messy boys are) but I was wrong! All of my boys just dug right in and lapped that plate clean! Okay, so I helped - I had to taste it!

I'm a mom!

Yesterday my mom stayed home from work because she said the puppies were coming. I didn't feel too well, and laid with my mom most of the day. Then when my dad came home at 4:00 things really started to happen. My mom took Maski out for a walk, and all of a sudden I felt a puppy coming out! My dad yelled out to my mom, who came running. The first one was really hard, it took about seven contractions to squeeze him out, and it HURT! I cried with each contraction. Then the first one came out, and he's blue (dark brown/black) just like his dad. Mom got him out of the sac and cut the cord, then I licked him good and clean. Twenty minutes later the second puppy came, and that one wasn't as bad, just a few contractions, and he was out. This one is gray, with little stripes. I don't know who he looks like! After I got him cleaned up, too, I needed a rest, so for the next hour I just laid back and let the puppies nurse a little. When I got my second wind, another puppy came out, and this one looks just like me! I barely had a chance to meet him, when the last one came just 8 minutes later, and he came out feet first - OUCH! I tried to be brave, but that last one hurt me a little. He was all gray, too. My mom helped me get into position to nurse them all, while my dad cleaned up the mess we made. Soon I was back in my cozy warm whelping box with a nice clean sheet and blanket to lay on. Four boys! I was really hoping for a girl, maybe two, but my sons are all healthy little squirmers, and that's all that matters.

my x-ray

Last night my mom took me to the Vet's office for an x-ray. She said we need to know how many puppies are coming, and if they are in the right position to be born. The doctor put me in front of a machine, and said she was just taking my picture. I figured that was painless, mom and dad do it all the time. It didn't hurt at all. And we found out that I have four puppies inside of me! They are all in the right position, ready to be born in just 5 days! It's so exciting - but kind of scary, too. Mom promised she would stay with me when it was time to - to - I think she said "whelp"? Maybe that's the sound the new puppies will make when they come out!

Day 41!

I had no idea that puppies would take up so much room in my belly! I have totally lost my 9-1/2 inch waistline! Just 3 more weeks to go!

Vet appointment

Monday mom and dad took me to the Vet. I really don't like it much there, but mom or dad holds me all the time, so it's okay. The doctor took me to a special room and rubbed some cold stuff on my belly. She said she could hear another heartbeat and see what looked like 2 or more puppy sacs. Mom and dad are so excited! They hugged me and hugged me! They say I should have the puppies around September 25th. I hope I'm a good mom.