Meet Baby Jeffery

Wow have we had a crazy 4th of July Holiday. Thursday morning we took Percie to the vet for a follow-up and to ask some questions. She hadn't been eating well, but the vet told us to try and feed her chicken and noodles. So Joe spent Thursday while I was at work cooking for Percie. She ate better, so we weren't worried as much anymore.

We were planning on going to Lake DeGray for the 4th, and the vet said no boat riding, no swimming, and she needed to stay in the air conditioned camper. He said we might have puppies in the camper, but we might not. So when I got off work on Thursday we headed to Lake DeGray.

Joe and I woke up Friday, July 3, to a pool of liquid in our bed. I thought Percie might have had an accident in the bed, but Joe said, "No, I don't think so. I think her water broke!" ***Warning TO MUCH INFO*** She had some brown discharge, so we knew we were about to have puppies. It was a week early, but the vet had said he thought she would do fine.

We put some towels on the floor in a corner in the camper, and she stayed on the towels. Joe and I sat on the floor with her for a few hours, and nothing happened. I decided to take a nap, but Percie kept wanting in the bed with me. So, we gave in and put a towel on the bed and she took a nap between Joe and I. She never panted, pushed, whined or acted like she was hurting at all.

I woke up at 2:00 p.m. panicked because it was 2:00 p.m. and nothing had happened. I called the vets office in Hot Springs that I had found on the internet just in case we needed emergency care. They were awesome and told me to bring her in just to have the vet check her out.

We were still in our pajamas and hadn't had lunch so we were scrambling around trying to get ready when Percie jumped up on the bed, sat down, then jumped down. We looked over and there was a puppy on the bed. Mama broke him out of the sack and tried everything, but he had no heart beat and wasn't breathing. Percie never pushed, and I don't think she even knew she had a puppy.

Joe grabbed Percie and mama had the puppy, and off to Hot Springs we went! (Me still in my pajamas and all. Don't worry, my bag was in the truck, so I changed on the way there!) Joe had his flashers on, but no one was paying attention to the flashers. It's a good thing he was driving because I probably would have killed us!! (Have you ever ridden with me when I'm in a hurry?) On the way there, Percie started panting and pushing. I was so worried about her!! After that puppy fell out, she went into labor.

It took us 1 hour and fifteen minutes to get from DeGray to the vet in Hot Springs. They took her and the puppy straight back. The puppy did not make it. He didn't look right, and we think he hadn't been alive for a while.

The vet, Dr. Stacy Brown (I can't say enough wonderful things about Dr. Brown!! I believe she saved Percie's life!!), took x-rays of Percie and determined there were 2 puppies still in Percie. She said she would be surprised if any of the puppies were still alive. She wanted to do an emergency c section. ***Warning TO MUCH INFO*** Percie's discharge was now green which means infection. The vet told us she may have to spay Percie because she wasn't sure what shape her uterus was in. Joe and I had already discussed it, and we were going to get her spayed as soon as she recovered from having puppies anyway, so the vet said she would just spay her when she did the section. This will save Percie from hurting again!

They wrote down our phone numbers and said they would call when Percie was out of surgery. We were in no shape to go anywhere, so we drove through Sonic and sat in the truck in the parking lot at the vets office. It was after 5, and they closed at 5. I felt bad that they had to stay late on a holiday weekend!

We got a phone call after what seemed like forever, and Percie was doing great!! They also said that one puppy was ALIVE!! I heard Jeffery crying!! I think we all cried!! They told me that all 3 of the puppies were boys.

Mama and Joe immediately said his name was Jeffery. After saying no way 200 hundred times and them saying "Oh yes!" I finally gave in. Of course we decided if he made it, we were keeping him.

They came out and gave us a few updates. And then what seemed like forever later (I think it was an hour), they came out and said the Dr. Brown wanted to meet with us. They gave Jeffery to mama for her to try to keep him warm. Dr. Brown explained how critical Percie and Jeffery are. She told us the next 2 to 4 days were very critical. She said that cepsis had set in in Percie's uterus. She is not sure what caused the infection, but she said the puppy we did not see had probably been dead for a while. She said he did not look good at all.

They gave us medicine for Percie and medicine for Jeffery. They also gave us a bottle and puppy milk. Dogs who have c sections sometimes reject their puppies.

We headed back to Lake Degray with Percie and Jeffery. Joe loaded up the camper and we headed home. We were at the lake a total of 24 hours and never left the camper except to go to the bathroom and take Percie to the vet!!

Mama fed Jeffery with the bottle on the way home. He tee teed for her. Yeah!! Joe and mama said he talked a lot. I was in mama's car pulling the boat, so I missed the excitement of Jeffery eating and peeing, but I did talk to them on the phone a lot.

Percie was way out of it because of the anesthesia from her surgery. When we got back to Beebe around 11:00 p.m., Percie still could not stand up. Joe tried to put her on her feet, but she couldn't hold her weight. Joe brought her in and put her in bed. She slept all night, while mama bottle fed Jeffery every 1.5 hours.

This morning Percie was much better. She drank water, pottied outside, and then ate. Mama made Jeffery an incubator with a heating pad set on low and a towel.

Her Percie is realizing she has a puppy. After all of that, she let Jeffery nurse.

It still takes a little coaxing, but she is letting him nurse every 2 hours. It does freak her out a little bit and her eyes get really big, but at least she lets him nurse. We have been taking care of Jeffery for the most part so that Percie can rest and get better. She is doing great at letting us take care of Jeffery.

We use a wet Q-tip to get him to pee and poop. Jeffery finally pooped!! I had to call the vets emergency number because it had been 24 hours since Jeffery was born, and he hadn't pooped. She told us that if he was nursing and peeing that he needed to poop. She said that we may have to try for 3 or 4 minutes before he will go, so after the next feeding mama got him to poop with a wet Q-tip!! Yeah!! I never thought I would be this happy about puppy poop!!

Jeffery weighed 3.7 ounces when he was born. He is tiny and very fragile, but he is a fighter.

Please say a prayer for Percie and baby Jeffery. They have a long way to go!!

Rae