Poppy

Poppy

Week One

Poppy when she first came in

Poppy came into our care on Sunday 4th January 2009 weighing just 3kgs and very poorly indeed. She was sold at apparently 8 weeks old with no papers as the runt of the litter, she was bought as a healthy puppy but small and with a 'slight' skin problem. Of course over the few weeks that she was in her new home she got more poorly as she is quite severely LAD affected, the vet she was taken to didn't know much about it and advised PTS her owner said no, so was advised to bath her in Malaseb and take her back in a week, she went back last week with no improvement (and no offer of medication) and again told to PTS but her new owners loved her and couldn't do that, and they really have loved her because she is a real snugly cuddly bunny. So her people looked for help and found someone who knew Lottie's breeder they contacted her because they knew about Lottie suffering with LAD, Sheree (Lottie's breeder) picked her up on Sunday and got her to me (thank you Sheree), she went straight onto antibiotics (Thank you Juliet). She couldn't or wouldn't eat, I done some digging and found that she hadn't eaten for about 5 days plus had chronic diarrhoea so bad that her bottom protrudes and her tail cannot sit over it properly, so she was on set bio yogurt by syringe for the first couple of days and is now lapping goats milk and ready brek with honey and bio yogurt, and she loves it. I will start adding small amounts of egg, fish and puppy food in a few days. Her skin was very sore and she does struggle a bit to walk, her feet just need lots of care and attention and hopefully will be starting to heal now so hopefully the walking should get better in time, she has to keep lifting a leg in turn to rest them bless her. My vets think that had she not got here and on the medication Sunday she would have been dead by today or so poorly she would have had to be PTS. I thank her owners for finding someone who understood and letting her come into our care and Sheree for getting her to safety and Juliet for getting the medication straight into her, a chain of events by different people mean this little girl is alive and has a fighting chance of survival. Some may say put these babies to sleep but if you could see her a few days on from having medication she is wanting to play, eating for England, investigating her new surroundings and generally enjoying herself you may just change your mind!

I will update this page weekly to start with to see how this little poppet is improving.

She liked to snuggle up in the basket

Playing with my Mini Bull Phoebe and my other LAD baby Elsa

Elsa and Poppy having fun, I am sure Elsa thinks Poppy will squeak if she keeps nudging her!

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Week Two

Well what a difference a week and some medication makes, Poppy now eats really well, she has gained 1lb (1/2 a kilo) in weight, her skin is already so much better with no sore spots and her feet are looking so much better, her ears still need some attention but not as red raw as they were a week ago. Just getting these babes onto the medication ASAP makes a huge difference to there quality of life. Poppy is just as bright eyed and as crazy as any normal 14 week old puppy, she plays more than any LAD affected pup I have ever met and generally disrupts the whole house with her shouting if you do not take notice of her when she demands it. She is a real little cuddle monster and will happily fall asleep in your arms. She has no fear whatsoever so does need constant supervision. She is going to make someone a wonderful companion.

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Week Three

Poppy is just so much better, her skin is healing really well and the improvement of her feet is amazing! She can run, skip and jump as good as any puppy and is no different in her mannerisms than any 16 week old bully, and don't we know she is teething!! Poppy managed to put on a Kilo in just over two weeks and is now eating puppy food with no problems to her tummy at all. She still doesn't like being bathed so I guess she won't change her opinion now, however she does like being snuggled up in the towel to be dried, bless her. She is now on repeat prescriptions and just pops into the vet for weighing which she quite enjoys. She is a very confident, happy go lucky girl at home but does tend to be a bit shy when out visiting. Everyone who has met this special little girl have fallen head over heals in love with her. She is amazing!

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Poppy with her new blanket that was donated by the Bullie Rescue Forum

Just over a month

Well little Poppy is doing great and weighs almost 5kgs, she hasn't grown much just filling out a little. she is full of life and loves every minute of every day, when she is awake. Her walking is much better now although she does walk on her pads not her toes, probably because her feet were sore before the medication and she adjusted her walking to make it easier but this has now become habit so she will probably always walk this way. She runs almost everywhere with these huge paws padding down and toes staying in the air, she is so unique and at the same time yet so very similar to other LAD babes it just makes her even more enchanting. She is a very funny girl and she doesn't stop talking (typical bullie) and still shouts for attention, especially when I am on the phone, she really does throw a wobbly then. Everyone who meets her has fallen in love with her she is really a cutsie pie. Poppy is eating well and still has four meals a day, she sleeps as content as a baby all snuggled with her hot water bottles and soft blankets. Toilet training is difficult but I think she will get there in the end, normal BT puppies are difficult little buggers and LAD babes are little buggers with an extra bit. Her skin is still healing around her face but her feet are way better now as are her ears. So all in all Poppy is doing great. Next update in about a month.

Is this a good puppy diet?

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Sadly Poppy lost her battle with LAD at the tender age of about 7 months. She decided it was time to up and go so off she went snuggled safely in my arms. This tiny little scrap bought a whole heap of joy and laughter into my home, she never stopped having fun, just constantly busy and lived every minute of her short life to the full.

Poppy was dearly loved by all who met her and especially loved by myself and my daughters, Poppy has left a huge crater size hole in our lives and we don't expect to meet a dog with so much character and guts as our little bag of bones Poppy the Pupster ever again. She was just one of a kind. If we had given her a KC name it would have been Lemon Popsicle because she was just so vibrant, sweet and full of life.