Category: Lili

After weeks of not getting anywhere with Lili’s diet and malabsorption problem, she is finally starting to do well. She is no longer ravenously hungry (although she never turns down a meal) and her desire to chew all of the time.

She is actually becoming more pleasant to be around. She loves me. She follows me everywhere. All she needs is good nutrition, our love and lots of running time.

Oh yeah, now that she is feeling better, she wants to run and run. Fortunately, we have a large field behind the house, and Lili loves it.

It has been tough. I never had those sweet silly puppy days with her. I was so busy trying to keep her healthy, and that was so darn hard.

I am just so thankful that the diarrhea has gotten better and that she is utilizing her food. I know we have a long way to go until her food is balanced, but at least we are on the right road.

Oh yes, and as she feels better, her behavior has improved. I will be bringing her back to the dog trainer, for private lessons very soon.

Now that we know that Lili has EPI I have started working wth her. You see, when she was really suffering before the start of her medication, the poor thing was in pain, had terrible diarrhea, and was wasting away. A terrible thing for a dog to be going through.

The trainer kept telling me she was willful and to be harsh with her. Well, I stopped going to her. You simply cannot be harsh with a dog who is frantically hungry all the time.

There was that look in her eyes. That terrible look that told me that she was scared. So, after praying to God for assistance, I started to behave calmly with my constant shadow.

After lunch today, I allowed her to come up on my loveseat with me. Then I softly, gently, stroked her back, her ears, and down her legs. Her eyes closed and she sighed.

I thought then that here is a dog that has been abused by illness. She was counting on us to recognize that and help her. I have to admit that Hubby was the biggest help. He’s been involved in a genetics project for years and this was one of the illnesses that was discussed.

So I ask, if you are the praying sort of person, please include Lili in your prayers. She will need all of them if we are to get this disease under control.

Today I wanted to write a little about about how Lili is doing. It’s been a tough go. As a very little puppy, I did not understand her at all. I’ve raised many a puppy, but never one so totally uninterested in people. She was often almost feral.

Then she got sick. Terribly sick, and I didn’t understand that either. I read everything I could and finally when Hubby and I were pretty sure we knew what was wrong, we got our Vet involved.

Stool samples were taken, exams were made and in the end, we found out why Lili was so ravenous all the time and not a very friendly dog.

She has Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency which was literally causing her to starve to death. We started her on enzyme powder and a pill to help her digest her food and rest her gut.

At first she was the same and dealing with her was so hard. I wanted Lili more than anything, but I have to tell you that cleaning up after an EPI dog is not easy.

Also she went mental while her food was resting (enzyme activation). Then about three days ago, something happened. Lili calmed down. Her belly no longer hurts (I suspect) and she has shown us her loving heart.

Her basic training at doggy school has helped, but since she gets over excited by any food, I started to train her all on my own. And actually, she is doing pretty well.

Please keep Lili in your prayers. This is a tough, lifelong illness and we are doing our best to save her with the best medications they have.

Well, Lili is doing better. The enzyme powder is helping her to properly digest her food (or close to it) and her empty belly is starting to fill out. We’re looking into a better food for her to eat (along with the enzyme powder) with hopes that this will calm her down, help her gain weight, and make her a less aggressive dog.

Oh, part of me would love to just bring her back. Nothing is easy with Lili. For instance, her food needs to sit 20 minutes at room temperature after the enzyme powder is mixed in. She can smell the chicken and rice and no matter where I try to hide it she simply goes insane. We have chosen an option. Hubby takes her out and I mix the food and then hide it (I’m creative!).

The thought that this will be how it is for Lili’s entire life, frustrates me. As a former breeder, I tested my dogs for various known illnesses in dackels.

But then, Lili adores me. She follows me every where. To the bathroom, to the basement, to the screen porch and she wants to be in my chair next to me all the time.

People talk about the sweet wonders of puppy-hood, and I have had that wonderful warm glow with every dog I have ever had, until Lili. Her illness makes her rather aggressive (especially around food) and not the cuddly sweet pup I had longed for and dreamed of.

We will be doing a blood test next week to pin point her illness. After that I think we will need to decide if we try to save her and make her healthy or contact her breeder.

I woke yesterday morning ready to face the day, and slipped into my slacks and top. I went out of the bedroom only to discover that Lili had terrible diarrhea in the puppy room in the night.

I have never seen her have this much! It was on the walls, on the tiles of the floor and on her bedding, and the only way to get her outside to wash her down was to carry her! So after that, I was also covered in her poop, with a back ache!

I worked hard to hose her off, and to wash her and she went crazy on me. I brought her in after I rinsed her and toweled her off. Then I washed down my hands and took off my poopy clothes and started the laundry.

About that time Hubby got up and asked what the horrible screaming was all about. I sat and drank one cup of coffee and then I got on my gloves and went into the puppy room (Oh my God the smell was so horrible!) to start the cleaning.

I cannot express how terrible it was. Just horrible liquid diarrhea everywhere. I thought I would throw up myself!

I spent over an hour washing and washing and washing. Then I closed the door again and turned on the air conditioner. After about 20 minutes I sprayed the disinfectant and now it smells wonderful again.

But my emotional scars linger on!

Once everything was clean, and I actually ate a small breakfast, I took a long hot shower. Even then all I could think of was the poop. I’m so glad I take Lili on Tuesday to the Vet.

Our little girl is growing up! She is well over 20 pounds and is starting to grow into her gangly body. She also is starting to play nicely with the dackels, and has her own spot in her crate and on the sofa. Yeah, I gave up on keeping the dogs off the sofa a long time ago. I bought this sofa in 1996 and now it is old, and I just use a slip cover that is washable. The dogs are very happy.

So back to Lili. She is amazingly beautiful!

Also now that she understands that she is one of four dogs, and not one of 10, she has relaxed. She has her own dishes, her own toys and her own chews.

The dackels are still leery of this white monster, but I have seen them getting closer to her. Especially on the sofa!

She starts puppy reform school on Monday night. I hope she enjoys it. It’s for 4 weeks and then we switch over to Obedience Training One.

Time is flying by. And she is growing like a weed!

Lili went tot he Vet and had her check up and her shots. She weighed 22.8 pounds and was perfect in every way. She goes back in another month for her boosters and for her rabies shot.

Meanwhile in a week she starts proper doggy school! Ah yes, Our little munchkin really needs to learn how to get along with other pups.

My theory is this. Coming from such a large litter (10 puppies), she literally had to fight for everything she got. Food, toys, and the lot. Slowly she is learning that she has her own toys, her own bones and her own dish of food.

Lili no longer whines at night, and beccause she is a magic dog, who can open her own crate, we leave her out of her crate in the puppy/mud room. Since she sleeps in there when she wants a nap, it looks like she has taken over the room.

We are really starting to enjoy our little puppy as the intense work is starting to pay off with Lili becoming a sweet gentle girl.

I have not been as good this las month blogging here. I have a wonderful excuse! Her name is Lili! She is a sweet puppy, but she is just that. A puppy!

Most of the pictures that I have posted have been of sweet Lili sleeping. Trust me, she does very little of that and keeps me on my toes!

We go to the Vet today and Lili will have her shots and get weighed in. I’m actually looking forward to that!