Day 3

Written by Erin

With the vet visit out of the way and a routine established, we begin our day to day monitoring. Mason and I will both give our observations, as mine will be more medically based and Mason's will come from the viewpoint of an average dog lover. He prefers not to describe things like bowel movements, and I'm sure a lot of you prefer not to read about it. As a vet-in-training I can't help it!

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When we went to check on Cooper on Day 3 we opened the door to see that he had made his first bowel movements since he was in our possession. The first was a pile of well-formed stools and the second was a steaming diarrhea soup. Considering all the dewormers he's on and the fact that he's on a new diet, we are expecting a diarrhea storm over the next several days. Luckily he did his business away from his bed and also away from the edges of the crate, thereby making it an easy mess to clean up.

Following our protocol, Mason took Cooper outside while I cleaned the diseased doo doo piles. He was proud to report that the puppy peed for the first time outside. It was good to know that he was urinating and defecating like a normal animal. Shortly thereafter, though, he began licking where he had just peed. Perhaps a survival instinct?

This little guy also has a satisfyingly normal appetite. He always eats every bit of his food and licks the bowl to make sure he got it all. This is a very good sign!

Throughout the day we didn't notice any changes in demeanor or energy. Whenever Cooper was in the crate he was lying down in his "bed." If outside he was either sitting or slinking away from us to hide in the bushes. He sits with his head held down low and stares up at us with his little eyes. His eyes did seem to be opened wider than the previous 2 days but that was really the only change.

trying to hide in the bushes