akaThis is the patched boy at 3 weeks old. He was the second and the biggest puppy born, but his brother has caught up with him in size. I love this little guy's personality. He is usually the first to alert when I come in to check on the puppies. He likes to come to the entrance of the whelping box and stand on his hind legs, looking for attention. His coat is just a bit thicker than the other puppies. He seems to be pretty outgoing.
Below are a couple of photos of Patch Boy at 4 weeks old. He is becoming a very good looking young fella. He has a can-do attitude about things, and loves to explore and play. Patch Boy has suddenly become available to someone who wants a really good puppy. I suspect he'd be a really wonderful hiking partner, jogging partner, agility dog, and also love to sleep on someone's king size bed.
Patch Boy may be the best looking of all the puppies. He has nice angles, very pretty spotting, and is the most mature looking of all the puppies at this point.
This is the Patch Boy at 5 weeks. I continue to think that he is the best looking, conformation-wise, of the bunch at this age. He is a great pup.
Patch Boy has had a tremendous growth spurt this sixth week. He has become a bit of a lanky teenager very quickly, but is still very good looking. Right now, I'd classify him as the easiest going of the four puppies. He loves to snuggle and be held on a nice warm lap on the couch. He is innately a very gentle guy and doesn't play as hard as his siblings. I think part of his quietness this week is because he slept more so he could continue growing! He still looks like he is going to be a very handsome gentleman.
SADNESS
Week 7 has been heartbreaking. The sweetest puppy of the bunch, Patch Boy, began losing his appetite and acting disoriented on Thursday. On Friday, it was evident he was in pain, so we made him as comfortable as possible and took him to the Vet on Saturday. The Vet was unable to diagnose the problem, but noticed that the pupils of his eyes were uneven. She suggested we go see a Specialist, which we did. The Specialist put Patch Boy on fluids, a steroid, and prednizone. She theorized that Patch Boy might have hydrocephalus because of the domed shape of his head and his less active manner compared to the other puppies. If that is what it was, she said his prognosis was not good. To be sure, she recommended we take Patch Boy home and observe him for a couple of days. At least his appetite had returned. For a couple of days, it seemed hopeful as this brave little guy did everything he was taught- came when called, piddled outside or on the newspapers, enjoyed nesting with his siblings. Wednesday morning the writing was on the wall as his pain returned and he again became disoriented. The decision was not easy, but we made the decision to put the little guy out of his pain. Rest easy, Patchy, you are missed.
