Purl was the big story in my life in 2013. A normal healthy new puppy is a big undertaking for any household but a puppy with a serious health problem turns into the major source of stress (and in this case, joy).
I fell in love with this little face on the breeder’s website:
and in February, she came home.
Jack was not happy:
At about two and a half pounds, she was tiny:
and even though her favorite spot was in front of a full food dish, she had a hard time eating.
She barely made a dent in her bed:
At three and a half months, she only weighed about 5 pounds (but at least she had grown out of her first sweater).
And she filled up her bed a bit more:
She was a contented little girl, but slept a lot, without a normal puppy’s energy:
We knew something was wrong with her throat, and if we couldn’t fix it, she would either choke to death some day or slowly starve. Thanks to Janice Starsnic’s research on Purl’s behalf, we finally had a name for what we thought was wrong, and a surgical solution for it. At 5 months (and 6 pounds) she had an operation at Metropolitan Veterinary Associates in Trooper.
She came home with a bright red bandage around her throat, and she could eat and drink without coughing and choking!
In June she had her first haircut and started to look spaniel-y:
August:
September:
October:
December, a healthy 14 pounds:
And what of Jack? Well, Purl’s obviously here to stay, so….
Thanks for indulging me! It was fun looking back over the year and here’s to a great 2014 for us all!
