Down to Nearly Zero "Accidents" and Sleeping through the Night

Little Vinson is really figuring things out fast. He's now regularly sleeping until 6 a.m. without any middle-of-the-night trips outside; and he's really figured out how to tell us when he's ready to go outside. He calmly gets up and goes to the door.

As recommended by The Seeing Eye, we always use the same door to go out with him, and we always use the same part of the yard. Now he knows that, when he needs to go, all he has to do is go to that door and we spring into action.

Way to go, buddy!

Feeling Great

Vinson seems to be feeling great and is surprisingly active considering the size of his splint, although you wouldn't know it from this photo I just took in the office here at The Seeing Eye!

A Special Meeting - Take Your Kids to Work Day

Yesterday, The Seeing Eye participated in Take Your Children to Work Day, and Vinson was a hit. Approximately 10 puppy raisers and area coordinators were on hand to introduce themselves and the pups they are raising to the room of about 20 children.

After some question and answer time, the children were allowed to move from puppy to puppy and pet them while speaking with their raiser. Vinson was a big hit, gave lots of kisses, and had many return visitors for a second petting. He also got to see one of his siblings, who returned to campus for the special event.

Full of Energy Again

Vinson seems back to his normal self, save for the giant splint on his back leg. He's really moving fast and even tried to play with the cats a bit last night. The challenge now is to get him some exercise while keeping him safely on the mend.

We also clipped his nails last night, and he was very calm throughout - an easy guy to work with. Now that nice spring weather has finally arrived, he just loves to sit in the grass and sniff the breeze.

Vinson will be back at Highlands Veterinary on Tuesday night for his first splint and wrap changing, and for his 9.5 week DHPP inoculation.

Back to His Puppy Self, Cast and All

Vinson received a boatload of love back at the office here at The Seeing Eye today. He's rebounding fast and learning how to manage with the leg splint on. He does not seem to be in pain and is back to mild playing. Yes, his "peg-leg" looks a bit humorous as he hobbles along, but he is taking it in stride. Vinson decided to chew on the towel during filming of this quick clip, which I promptly corrected after the camera was off. Any soft items require total supervision to prevent digesting any "foreign bodies". 

In Great Spirits

Little Vinson is doing very well after a good night of sleep. He's learning how to get around with what we're calling his peg-leg. He is playful this morning and had a great appetite, and has figured out how to take care of his business in the yard with his new setup. Sarah and I are both so pleased to see him acting like normal Vinson. Way to go, buddy! Now it's off to The Seeing Eye for another doggie-sitting day.

Broken Leg

Vinson's Camouflage Cast with a sock to keep it dry

It's been quite a challenging day. Vinson's vet appointment showed that he did indeed break his hind leg in his tumble, and now he's in a wrapped splint from toe to hip. His leg is completely immobilized although he is managing to get around very slowly. He is super tired but is not whining and is still managing to eat, drink and eliminate, albeit with some modifications to his normal position.

So, the adventure continues with this new wild card. Vinson will now be going to the vet once per week for the next 6 to 8 weeks for checkups, and as he grows, he will need his splint size increased to match the length of his leg.

With all of this going on, Sarah and I still needed to make it to a family wake today, and Vinson received wonderful care from Kathy at The Seeing Eye. He was even enjoying the company of a shepherd pup when I picked him up this evening. We have to travel again tomorrow for a funeral, and Vinson will again be spending the day in great hands at The Seeing Eye.

Rest and limited movement are now key to proper healing, so we'll now be very attentive to keeping Vinson comfortable and safe.

With all of that said, he still likes to give kisses and is handling the problem like a champ. His splint wrapping is blue camouflage. I have a feeling he'll be getting even more love and attention from all who meet him now. Photos and videos to come soon.

Just goes to show you never know what might happen, but you have to be prepared to deal with the situation and continue on, and that's just what we're all doing. With a little extra love and care, this will soon be behind him and he'll be back to hopping, jumping and running like a little puppy should.

Vinson Takes a Spill

Our cat, "Porter" tries to make Vinson feel better

A tough morning for the little guy. Vinson was super excited this morning and chased the cat into the bedroom. When the cat jumped up on the bed, Vinson apparently tried to follow, but of course he couldn't make the leap. He fell on his left hind leg and cried like an upset child.

Now he is resting calmly with Porter trying to help him feel better, but Vinson won't put weight on his leg.

We are able to touch all parts of his leg, foot, toes and hips without triggering pain, so it seems likely that he strained or sprained a muscle rather than fractured a bone, but we will leave the final diagnosis to the Pro's.

Following what The Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Manual states, we immediately called our area coordinator and our local veterinary office. The coordinator recorded the incident and will pass the information to Seeing Eye vets, and we will update her (and this Blog) after his appointment at 11:00 a.m. this morning. As required by The Seeing Eye, our veterinarian will call The Seeing Eye for authorization before any X-rays will be taken.

Sarah and I feel very badly for the little guy, as you can imagine. There's nothing more sad looking than a sad, cute puppy.

This is another part of raising a puppy - given their tiny size and high excitement level, accidents can and do happen. The procedures are clearly defined in the manual, so it is up to you to follow them to a T.

Keep little Vinson in your thoughts today and we'll update the Blog as soon as we know more.

First Frontline Treatment

Vinson had his first Frontline treatment tonight. He was so tired after playing with the neighbor's child that he just laid on the floor and didn't mind at all. We had waited 24 hours in between giving him his first heartworm medication and applying the flea and tick treatment just to be sure he didn't have a reaction to either. With space in between, if he did have a reaction, we'd have been able to figure out which treatment was causing the problem. Reactions to both medications are very rare though, and little Vinson's good to go.

Packing for a Sleepover

Vinson will be staying with a dedicated, very experienced puppy-raising coworker Tuesday night while Sarah and I are traveling to attend a family gathering. I am lucky enough to work at a place full of loving, experienced raisers, but If you are considering puppy raising, it is very important to think about what your plan would be when life's inevitable curve-balls mean you have to be somewhere without your puppy.

Who will look after the puppy? Do you have a kit prepared - you'll be responsible for filling out the puppy sitting forms, providing vet forms in case of emergencies, providing pre-measured meals, dishes, toys, a crate, etc. When you're signing up to become a puppy raiser, take some time to determine two or three people or households that you would look to in these situations.

Sleeping on the Job - and Dreaming

Down to 3 Meals Daily Today

As part of his growing, today Vinson is reduced to three daily feedings instead of four. He will still receive the same amount of food in total, with the eliminated meal being divided and added to breakfast and dinner. We will not add any food to his lunch meal, as this meal will go away too when he reaches 16 weeks of age.

A Big Hit at Easter Celebrations

Vinson was a huge hit at two Easter celebrations yesterday. He visited two new houses and lots of family and friends. He didn't make a single mess in either house, and is really getting the hang of standing by the door and looking back at us when he needs to go out.

Vinson was incredibly amused by dandelions. He would sprint toward them and then chop off the flower with one quick nip (with myself or Sarah quickly reaching in and removing the bitter flowers from his mouth).

After getting home, Vinson was more worn out than we've seen him and slept very soundly.

Weekly Weigh-In

Today, Vinson weighs 9.8 pounds. He has gained 2.3 pounds in one week!

After giving Vinson the news, he quietly began chewing on the scale.

Happy 8-Week Birthday, Vinson!

Vinson is eight weeks old today. How are we celebrating? Well, it started with a little poop on the living room floor! After clean-up, we played outside in the mild weather. Later, we're heading off to meet some family for Easter celebrations, so Vinson has a big day in store.

Eight weeks is also the age when we begin Vinson's heartworm and flea and tick medications. We gave him his first heartworm chewable this morning and will wait a day or so before giving him the first dose of flea and tick treatment. By not starting the two medications on the same day, it makes it easier to figure out which treatment is causing a problem should he experience any type of reaction.

Growing Every Day

Vinson is growing steadily and we notice progress in what he can do every day. Today he made it up four of our stairs, and he can now come up the three  cement stairs from our "park" area on his own.

Sarah and I will be weighing Vinson weekly to chart his progress. Look for the first update on his eight-week birthday.

The First Bark

Tonight we heard Vinson's first bark. One of our cats was on top of a cat tower/toy we have, and Vinson isn't quite big enough yet to jump up on it. He wanted to play with him, and began play bowing and vocalizing to get the cat to play. At one point, we heard his first bark! High-pitched and cute. Just another waypoint on his path.

More New People

Sarah and I had some friends over for dinner tonight, and Vinson really enjoyed meeting and playing with them all - including their 4-year-old son. He loves to run in the yard (on leash) with children. When he's had enough and is tired out, he makes tiny whines that sound like a baby bear or something you'd see on the Discovery Channel. What a guy?!

Another Busy Night

Vinson's favorite place to sleep is a cat bed!

As Vinson continues to grow and become more active, little piddle mistakes and wake-up calls for trips outside at night continue - as is quite normal at this tender age. Like all puppies, Vinson explores new textures and items with his mouth, and his tiny puppy teeth can be quite sharp! We're following the recommended correction methods to let him know what is okay to chew (his food and toys) and what isn't (everything else!).

Vinson continues to be an overall calm pleasure to have in the house. Once he's done his business, he's content to sleep. His new favorite bed is actually a cat bed!

Vinson's Explorations