That lick on Ted's chin should have been our first clue that we had a puppy prodigy on our hands.

Who wasn't entirely sure about getting another dog yet? Who would be cleaning most of the puppy messes while I went to work every day? Who would be trying to work from home while simultaneously entertaining a furry tornado?

Yes, Toby looked at me, all gaga over puppy breath, and headed straight for Ted. Smart, smart puppy.
Sixty minutes later we were leaving the pet store with a cartful of puppy toys and food, an ID tag that says TOBY, and a melted credit card. 


From that Wednesday evening until Friday it was the expected puppy chaos. That morning, Toby wasn't too interested in his breakfast. It seemed a little weird, but after all, the last three days had included a full round of shots, worming, and sleeping alone in a strange place for the first time. We weren't  concerned until Friday night, when Toby turned down dinner. Saturday morning he licked at his bowl and trudged back to bed with a big sigh. Hmm. I pulled out the broom and started sweeping right in front of his nose. He went back to sleep.

Have you ever seen a puppy when a broom is in use? A broom is prey! It should be nipped, jumped on, chased. You should never be permitted to sweep a room with a puppy in it. This was very, very bad.

I immediately called the SEVA GRREAT adoption coordinator, but went straight to voicemail. A few minutes later she called back. "Amy, you have to take Toby straight to the emergency animal hospital. I just learned that the puppies have parvo!" Parvo is a deadly disease. The lining of the digestive tract sloughs away. Up to 35% of puppies with parvovirus die. I watched a puppy die of parvo in 1980 as a a veterinary technician.

I grabbed the car keys, scooped Toby up, and made the drive to the hospital with him curled lethargically on my lap. Our new puppy had to be left at the hospital until - if - he recovered. His brothers were already there, and they were much sicker than Toby.

Toby might have been the runt, but he has an iron-clad immune system. We were able to bring him home the next day. Teddy and Taylor also recovered eventually, but they were hospitalized several days longer. Since the puppies were technically still being fostered,  SEVA GRREAT paid for all of the medical care.We are very grateful to this wonderful rescue organization. Many generous members responded to the appeal on their website for help.


Poor Toby!  What a week it had been! As we were about to find out, poor little Toby was a whirling dervish when he was healthy.
Next Post:  Those Teeth!