This is Pharaoh

Taking care of a dog is tough. Taking care of a puppy is even tougher. Last week, I brought a new member of the family home with me, and life took a 360-degree turn. I no longer head out the moment I wake up, instead I spend at least 30 minutes cleaning up Pharaoh's potty area, another 30 minutes preparing his food, and making sure he eats, then another 30 minutes to play with him, before he finally falls asleep again. 

I'm not complaining since I'd already mentally prepared myself for the worst case scenario, a month prior to taking him home. The only thing that's making things difficult at the moment is his health. The first few days, Pharaoh was fine. Like most pups, he was typically active and curious, with a happy-go-lucky personality. His stool however, was pudding-like, which isn't a good sign. I didn't think too much about it since it's pretty natural for puppies to excrete loose stools if they're stressed out, in an entirely new environment. 

Pharaoh in the morning, after his first night at our home.

However, his stools started becoming watery as the days go by. They're also accompanied by a strong foul smell that wakes me up every morning. Again, I didn't think much about it since there weren't any changes in his behaviour, and he was still eating fine. I only knew something was wrong when I found drops of blood in his poop yesterday morning. Immediately, I rushed down to the nearest veterinarian clinic to have him checked up.

It was such an exhausting event since I had to do it on my own. Pharaoh weighs 5.5kg (12 prounds), he needed to go potty frequently due to diarrhoea, he couldn't stop fidgeting in the Uber car, and I couldn't put him down on the floor since he hasn't complete the full round of vaccinations (he only had two shots so far). Thankfully he simmered down when it was our turn to see the doc. He did very well when our doc did the necessary check ups, didn't finch or anything.

However, we don't know what caused the diarrhoea for sure since it could be a cumulative of various factors, such as stress in new environment, change of food or even consumption of foreign objects. I'm just praying it isn't anything serious like parvo or distemper...

According to the vet, Pharaoh is fever free with no abdominal pain, so that's a relief. Let's hope he stays this way. He is also very active, is eating normally and drinking the same amount of water he usually drinks.. So.. I guess he's better than I anticipated.

Is it normal for Pharaoh to feel sleepy after taking his medication?

This morning when I woke up, I was horrified to witness Pharaoh puke twice right in front of my eyes. From my research, diarrhoea accompanied by vomiting is a red flag! It could be one of those deadly viruses I'd mentioned earlier. I called two different veterinarian clinics right after, and they both said that he could have puked due to an empty tummy, since I haven't feed him breakfast as his gastrointestinal tract (GIT) needed to rest and recover from whatever is causing the upset. 

True enough, after feeding him kibble with egg (tried plain porridge, pumpkin puree, banana, but no go!) he didn't puke anymore. It's very heartbreaking to see Pharaoh like this. To many, he may be just a dog, but he is literally my baby.. I have so many plans for him, it's too early to say goodbye... I know I sound very drama but it hurts to see him sick. I can only hope for the best and expect the worst now... May God watch over him and bless him... I love you Pharaoh.

Please pray for my little puppy.