Samson was born November 18, 2002. 

He came to live with us on February 12, 2003 when he was just 12 weeks old.

June 7, 2005 -   Wow...I can't believe that I just left this hanging and never updated as to what happened with Samson's limping back in June of 2003.  We ended up taking him to the emergency vet clinic for x-rays and his surgery leg was fine.  They said that because of the type of fracture he had, that he may, from time to time, have some pain and swelling in that leg.  They also explained again about how he may end up getting arthritis as he ages.  So, it was good news...no more surgery.

Of course, that was then and this is now.  Awhile ago, Samson started limping, but not his front leg...it was his back right leg.  We took him to the vet and found out that he has a luxating patella.  We are in the process of getting enough money together to take him to a surgeon for
x-rays and consultation.  That is going to cost $300.  We've been told they have to put him under anesthesia to take the x-ray because he has to be perfectly still.  They will then tell us what type of surgery he needs and that will run anywhere from $1100 - $1300.

Oh, and the pugs are on a diet.  Sam weighed in at a whopping 28 pounds.  WAY too heavy, especially with a bad knee and not so strong front leg.  Bella weighed 24 pounds, which I believe was the same as she weighed last year.  But, she still could stand to lose a few pounds.  Samson really needs to lose 8 pounds.  We have changed their food to the healthy choice version, cut back to only feeding 3/4 of what they had been getting morning and night.  We cut out fatty dog treats and now once a day they get a carrot, or a small piece of cheese.  And we are working on teaching them how to eat separately, out of their own dish...that way we know exactly how much each one is eating.

I'll be keeping Samson's diary up to date throughout his battle with the luxating patella.


June 28, 2003 -   Last night Samson started limping.  Of course, I was sick to my stomach and fearing the worst.  I was in tears.  My husband and members of an online pug group were very helpful in calming me down.  Thank goodness for friends!  We gave Sam a bayer aspirin and as he laid beside me last night and slept, I put an ice pack on his leg.  He doesn't appear to be in a lot of pain.

I called my vet this morning...told them about Samson's limping, filled them in (even though they have all his records and probably already know the whole story) on the fracture in Feb and how the surgeon has told us about the bone not filling in...explained that I was worried he had refractured it, but couldn't get him to the emergency clinic. I asked if they could do an x-ray and tell me if it was fractured or if they couldn't tell from the x-ray, could they send it to the surgeon so he could then look at it. The girl said just a minute and went to talk to the vet. She came back and said, yes they will do it...bring him in as soon as you can.

So, my Grandma drives us to the vet. The girl says Dr. Eberhart is going to see Samson because he's the "bone guy"...knows all about bones and fractures. Usually I see the other vets there, but this doc did see the kittens once so I was familiar with him. I take Samson back...they weigh him and he weighs 18.5 lbs...same as he did the last time we took him to the surgeon for follow up. The vet feels all around on Sam's leg and says he doesn't feel anything wrong. I said that was exactly what the emergency vet did when he fractured his leg before and even though she hadn't "felt" anything, that it WAS broken. He asks if he is putting any weight on it, I said he's limping, but putting some weight on it, BUT again this is what he did when it was broken. Then he says, "Well, I think that you need to take him back to where they did the surgery." I said that wasn't possible and that's why I had come there for them to do an x-ray. He said that the x-ray tech wasn't even there to read the x-ray. I said, well...why did they even tell me to bring Samson in then. I asked if they could take the x-ray and send it to the surgeon. He himed and hawed and again said that the surgeon had all the previous x-rays and I really should take him there. So, now I'm upset...I said, "I don't understand why you would have told me to bring him in then. If you had just told me this over the phone I wouldn't have wasted a trip." THEN he tells me that Samson needs to lose weight. I just looked at him like he was crazy and said, "He's just a puppy...he isn't even full grown yet." He said, I know, but you should be able to see his ribs. He needs to lose 4 to 5 pounds. I said, "Why didn't the surgeon tell me there was a problem with his weight?" Now, mind you...Samson is taller than Bella (who weighs 20 lbs.) If Samson lost 4 to 5 pounds, he would weigh about 13-14 pounds...he'd be skin and bone. Now, again I ask why they didn't just tell me they couldn't do the x-ray when I called...why would they tell me to they could and to bring him in right away. Now he says...well, we well take go ahead and take the x-ray then. But, now I'm not comfortable with the whole situation. So, I say...no, I'm not comfortable at all with this now. And he says, I'm not comfortable either. Needless to say, I walked out, slammed the door and won't be going back. I'm so upset because I really liked the other vets, but there is no way in hell I will go back there if they have this incompetent vet working there. This vet owned the practice originally, sold it to the vet I usually see, Dr. Catey, and Catey took on a partner, Dr. Engle (my fav)...and now for some reason Eberhart must have decided to come out of retirement and now he's back working there.

So, I'm right back to where I started...Sam is limping and I have no idea what's wrong. I called the surgeon and, as I suspected, if I take him over the weekend for an x-ray I will have to pay the $67 visit plus $124 for the x-ray, which we don't have. So, they have made me an appt. for Monday morning at 9:30 and he can have the x-ray (only $55) and his surgeon will be there to read it and examine him.

June 26 -  Sorry haven't written in so long.  Everything has been going great!  Samson is growing bigger and bigger.  He is completely housebroken...except for one accident recently and it was pretty funny.  We were sitting in the living room eating and he just stood there and peed...I yelled NO NO and picked him up and took him outside.  He hasn't done it since, so we are thinking that just like a little kid that doesn't want to stop playing long enough to go...well, Samson didn't want to leave the living room and possibly miss a scrap of food...hahaha!

Bella and Samson are best of friends and are never far apart.  Samson has stopped his bad habit of chewing the corners of rugs...but, alas, he still has a shoe and sock fetish...hahaha!  Shoes aren't even safe on the rack...he just pulls them off and carts them off to his bed. 

May 19 -  Samson again went to the surgeon for another follow up x-ray.  This time there was good news and some sorta bad news.  The good news is that Sam can now return to 100% activity.  Woo Hoo!  The sorta bad news is that the area that the doc had hoped would have filled in (healed completely) has not.  He now feels that this area may never fill in...and may be a hereditary thing...maybe even what caused the fracture to begin with.  But, he also said that he feels, especially with the pin and screw in place, that Sam should be okay and he shouldn't have any problems in the future, but of course could not guarantee anything.

So, now we get to all see what life with Samson is truly all about.  He already has proven to be quite a bit ornerier than Bella.  He likes to chew shoes, chew on rug corners, and just the other day he unplugged the window fan...YIKES!  But, he is a very smart puppy...he knows was "no no" means and listens very well.

April 17 -  Today Samson went back for his 6 week follow up x-ray.  The good news is that the pin and screw are still in place...they haven't moved or come loose...and the fracture is healing.  The bad news is that it still hasn't healed completely.  We have to come back in 4 more weeks for another x-ray.  Samson can be down, walking on his leg...just no running or jumping and no rough play.

We are gating off the living room because that's the only room where Samson could jump up and down on the furniture.  And if he gets too wild and tries running, chasing Bella...then we put the gate up on the other side of my computer room/area so that he is confined to the one room...and we put Bella on the other side until he settles down.  But, he really is pretty good.

April 5 -  Samson is doing great!  He went to the vet on the 3rd and was neutered.  He came home on the 4th...acting like nothing happened...LOL!  Well, at least he doesn't seem to mind the stitches and it doesn't seem to be hurting him...BUT, he was sure to let us know that he missed us and did not like the fact that we had left him overnight.

Samson and Bella get along wonderfully.  They truly are best friends.  Tucker sometimes joins in the play, but usually he is content to be a spectator.  Bella still does not like to be bothered in the morning by Sam.  She simply is not a morning person and likes to get lots of beauty sleep.  This works well because while Bella is sleeping, Sam is able to be down in the computer room.  He lays by my feet, plays with his toys...gets up and walks around...but since Bella isn't up and about he isn't running or jumping.  This gives him a little freedom that he can't have all the time.

Also, on Sunday, March 30th, Samson started sleeping in his play yard again...instead of sleeping in bed with us.  We had a king size waterbed that was low to the ground before.  But, on Sunday we got our Queen size soft side waterbed.  It is just like a regular bed and it is much higher off the floor.  So, the combination of not as much room and the fact that if he did fall out of bed he would be more apt to injure himself made us decide to move him back to the play yard.  Surprisingly he did excellent...no crying, whining or jumping to get out.  It was as if he had always been sleeping there.  We thought for sure that because he has slept with us for the past 3 weeks that he would cry and carry on.  We are so happy he didn't have any adjustment problems.

Since Samson's fracture...he has started growling and barking at people who come over and does the same to people when we have to take him places.  We are hoping that this is just from all the extra attention and babying that we have had to give him and that once he is healed he will stop the behavior.  He also might feel more threatened because he can't get down and feels he can't defend himself???

Just 12 more days and he goes back for his follow-up x-rays (April 17th)...and we are sure that he will get a good report and will be able to get back to being a normal puppy again!

March 21 -  YES!  The stitches came out and the bandage is no more!  Samson is so happy that he no longer has to wear the cone collar...AND he licked and cleaned his little leg the entire way home, which was an hour drive!  His fractured leg looks thinner than the other one.  I guess he lost a lot of muscle tone while it was bandaged, but I've been told that it will start looking normal after he is able to use it more.

Sam still has to be kept inactive for about 4 more weeks, no running or jumping or playing on the floor.  boo hoo 

March 20 -  Tomorrow is the day!  Samson goes to get his stitches out and we are hoping the doc will let him be a little more active.  I hope, I hope, I hope!

Sam has continued to sleep with us at night.  He loves my husband, but is such a Mommy's boy that if my husband goes to bed first and I stay upstairs to finish things up...Samson will not settle down...he sits at the end of the bed and waits for me to come to bed...then he cuddles up beside me and goes to sleep.

Samson has been doing well, getting used to his new schedule.  He does have a "wild" time each day, around 4 - 5pm...sometimes 6 pm.  He just goes completely crazy...trying to leap over the back of the chair we sit in...flipping himself all over, biting.  He just has SO much energy that he wants to get out...but he can't...poor little guy!

Yesterday Sam had his first experience with rain.  At first, he just kept shaking his head.  I'm sure he couldn't figure out what was going on.  But, I kept saying, "go potty, go potty" and finally he wandered off to his spot and went pee.  I thought he would come right back to the step for me to pick him up...which is what he usually does.  However, he became fascinated with the water coming out of the gutter spout and seemed to by hypnotized...just standing there staring at it.  Then he put his little face a bit too close and it got in the water...he jumped back like it had "bit him."  LOL!  It was quite funny to watch.

March 15 -  Countdown - 6 more days until Samson gets his bandage off!  Yippee!  That means no more E-collar when he has to be confined!!!

I am getting more and more used to taking care of Samson with his fractured leg.  This means that I am feeling less overwhelmed and more relaxed about the situation.  Today is really great because it's the weekend and my hubby is home today and tomorrow to help all day long.  He loves Samson so much.

Sam slept with us last night and until he gets the collar off that's the way it may be every night.  I really think it is the collar that irritates Sammy and causes him to whine throughout the night.  He just can't get comfortable and we did notice that twice during the night Samson woke up, moved around, scratched and cleaned himself and then settled back down to sleep.  In his crate, with the collar on he can't do this...thus he can't soothe himself back to sleep and cries.

Glory, our pomeranian, wasn't suppose to go to live with my Aunt & Uncle until early April...however, they came and got her early because the less activity in the house from the other dogs...the easier it is for us to keep Samson happy sitting on our laps.  Bella and Tucker rarely get Sam excited.  Bella is usually laying calmly beside us when we have Samson in our lap and Tucker is off sleeping.  But, Glory would be running thru the the living room with toys and driving Sammy crazy.

March 13 -  This is Samson's second full day home and I have to say his after care is exhausting and overwhelming at times.  The poor little guy wants to play so badly, but he can't. I feel terrible for him...as he has no idea why he can't be up and around.  But, if we want his leg to heal properly we need to keep him as inactive as possible.

The extent of his limited activity is even greater than we first thought.  Our instructions are that he is not to be on his leg, even walking, except to go outside to go potty or while he is standing to eat.  Other than that, he is to be completely restricted.  Which means that he has to either be on our lap or in a pet carrier.  He also has to have an E-collar put on whenever he is crated so that he will not chew his bandage.  Getting that thing on a squirmy puppy all by yourself is not an easy task.  And I'm always afraid of scratching an eye when I'm slipping it over his head. Thank goodness the stitches and bandages come off on the 21st...just a little over a week away.

The first night Sammy slept with us because I just could not stand the thought of him sleeping all night with that collar on.  However, sleeping with Sammy means that we don't get much sleep at all.  We have to be so cautious not to roll on him and to make sure he doesn't wander close to the edge of the bed and fall off.  So, last night we put Sammy to bed in the pet carrier with his E-collar on.  Before his surgery he was sleeping all night in his play yard...however last night he started crying softly at 3 am.  We waited to see if he would get back to sleep on his own, but by 3:15 we decided the poor guy must have been in distress.  I'm sure that with the uncomfortable collar, being confined in the much smaller space of the carrier and the discomfort of his leg...all of those things are just very hard on him.  So he went out to go potty and then came to bed with us for the rest of the night.

The one instruction we are not following exactly is regarding taking him out to go potty.  They said he should be leashed...however, after many failed attempts to get him to go while on the leash...we decided that would not work.  So, we carry him outside, put him down in his favorite spot...and then as soon as he is finished we scoop him up and carry him in.  It is a very small fenced area that is specifically for the dogs...and we make sure the other dogs stay inside when Samson is going out.

Samson was very excited because he got a lot of brand new toys to keep him occupied while he is recovering.  He got 2 new squeeky dog toys, a kong that we can fill with treats and peanut butter for him, and a new toy from the baby department with lots of different things to chew on and make noises.  I'm considering purchasing a dog pouch to carry Sam around in.

March 11 -  Samson had his operation yesterday.  The surgeon was Dr. Brad Coolman.  The surgery went very well and the doctor was pleased with the way he was able to repair the fracture.  He gives an excellent recovery expectation for Sammy!

The fracture went thru the joint and growth plate of the elbow.  They had to put a screw thru the joint and a pin thru the upper bone.  Samson will not have a cast, just a large bandage.  Because it is in the joint, which can cause stiffness and problems anyway...they don't want to further complicate that stiffness by immobilizing the leg.  They want Sam to be able to bend the joint to keep it flexible.  However, he can't be running and jumping for 6 weeks.  WOW!  That's a long time to keep a puppy down.  But, the surgeon explained that this is very important.  So, the living room will be off limits...that way Sam can't jump up and down on the furniture.  And I'm so glad that I'm home all day to monitor him. 

Samson had to stay overnight last night.  I called this morning to check on him and learned that he had chewed thru almost his entire bandage, so they had to put one of those cone shaped collars on him.  Luckily, I think he won't have to wear it at home because he will have the other dogs, all of his toys and me to keep him occupied.  The nurse thinks it's just because he was bored and the bandage looked like a pretty good substitute for a chew toy...LOL!

My husband is going to try and build a ramp over the back stairs that lead into the dog yard...that way, Samson can continue to use the doggie door.  He was just doing so well with using it by himself, that I hate to not allow him to use it.  I'm sure that would be confusing to him...especially when he will see Bella and Tucker going out on their own to do their business and he will want to do the same.

Well, just about half an hour and we will be leaving to pick Sammy up and bring him home!

March 9 -  I am almost tempted to say that Samson is completely house broken...but I don't want to jinx it.  He hasn't had an accident in the house for 7 days!

UPDATE - My 12 yr old daughter was holding Samson and he wiggled away and jumped from her arms.  He landed on his right leg and right side of his head.  He didn't cry or whine, but he immediately couldn't put any weight on his right leg.  Of course, I was a hysterical mess.  Thank goodness my husband was calm.  He felt all around on Samson's leg and there didn't seem to be any really sensitive spots. 

We watched Sammy for an hour and a half and when he still wouldn't put weight on the leg, we decided to take him to the emergency vet hospital which is about an hour away.  None of the local vets are on call on the weekends.

The emergency vet examined Sam and told us that he actually seemed to be putting a little weight on the leg, she did see some swelling...so she thought it was a pulled muscle or sprain and recommended that we take him home and if it didn't improve in 2-3 days that we bring him back in.  Well, I told her that I would just be beside myself waiting 2-3 days and I wanted them to go ahead and x-ray it.  So, she said sure.

Well, after the x-rays she came back into the room without Samson, which I knew wasn't a good sign.  I felt sick to my stomach.  Sure enough she said that it was a good thing I insisted on the x-rays because Samson's leg was broken.  Actually it was his elbow that is broke.  They called it a humeral condylar fracture.  From the x-ray it looked like the inside piece of the elbow was broken off.  She went on to explain that he would have to have surgery.

So, Samson had to stay overnight at the hospital.  They put a large temporary wrap/cast on his leg so that he wouldn't further injure it.  The surgeon was not available to speak with, Dr. Brad Coolman.  I have to call back in the morning to speak with him and get more details about the operation, recovery, etc.  Just the emergency visit, x-rays and temporary cast ran $212.  The surgery was quoted to us as being $1,200.  So, when all's said and done, it looks like this accident is going to cost us around $1,500...WOW!  Quite a shock!  Thank goodness for credit cards!

I called around 9 pm and checked on Samson.  The ICU nurse said he was doing great...very alert.  The secretary said that she also had met Samson...that he wouldn't let anyone go by without greeting him...LOL!

March 7 -  Samson continues to do fantastic.  He is healthy, happy and is proving just how smart he is.  He has continued not having any accidents in the house or in his play yard at night.  And he has been going out and coming in the doggie door with no prompting.  He has followed the other dogs out on several occasions and also has went out all alone.

This morning, I got up and took Samson out and he peed.  Then I brought him back in and let him run about and play with the other dogs.  Although Bella and Tucker are not morning dogs...LOL...and really don't care for all the commotion so early.  Well, it was hectic in the house this morning because my Mom had to stay the night with us.  Her electricity was out and she had no heat or anything.  So, the kids were all extra wild getting ready for school since Grandma was here.  Usually I would have taken Sammy back outside after about 20-25 minutes to see if he needed to go poop...but as I said, it was hectic and I forgot.  Well, we were all sitting around talking and I heard the doggie door flap open and close...I looked around and didn't see Samson.  My daughter went and peeked outside and there he was...he had went out on his own and he peed and pooped.  YIPPEE!  It has only been 12 days since we started house training him and he is doing just amazing!

Samson and Bella are definitely going to be best friends.  They continue to get along great.  It is so much fun to watch them play together.

March 3 - Great news!  Sammy's eye is doing fine!  When he got up this morning he was keeping it open more and actually, by the time I took him to the vet at 11:15 am, you could barely tell it was ever bothering him.  But, just to be safe, I went ahead and took him in to be checked.  The vet did the dye test and found no scratches.  That was such a relief.  He said that his guess was that Samson bumped his eye...but it was also possible he had something in it and it worked its way out overnight.  He gave me some drops to put in Samson's eye twice a day.

Another super day for Samson.  No accidents and he is really getting the hang of the doggie door.  He didn't use it on his own today, but I think he will when it gets warmer out.

March 2 - Sammy is doing great!  He is so smart!  No accidents today AND we caught him going out the doggie door by himself!  He went out...the other dogs were all inside and we didn't prompt him to go out at all...he peed and came back in.

My hubby and I had to go shopping and we knew we would be gone about 5 hours...so instead of making Samson stay in his play yard the whole time, we talked out 18 year old son into watching him.  That was probably a mistake because I'm sure he didn't watch him as close as we do.  We came home and Sammy's one eye was closed.  We could tell right away that he had hurt it somehow, but we had no idea how.  We didn't know if it was scratched, bumped or he had gotten something in it.  I was so upset...poor little Sammy.  We were going to rush him to the emergency vet, but when I called, they said that it wouldn't hurt to wait until morning and take him to our vet.  They said even if it was a scratch, that he'd be okay until morning.  Luckily Sammy was very tired, so he stayed resting and then went to sleep early.  We kept it dark for him too.

March 1 - Again, Samson went all night without going potty.  We also left him for 3 hours during the day, while we went shopping, and he held it until we got back to take him out.  He's eating great, playing great with the other dogs and we are continuing to work on him using the doggie door by himself...getting in and out...which he is doing great with.

We did catch him starting to pee inside today...he only went a drop...and we whisked him up and said NO NO...go outside to potty...we took him out and he went.

February 28 - This is the second morning in a row that Samson has not went potty on his papers all night, which is very encouraging.  Samson had his vet check up this morning and he weighs 8.3 pounds.  He has gained 2 pounds since last Saturday!

Today was very sunny out, thus quite a bit warmer than it has been.  So, we decided to work with Sammy on coming in the doggie door by himself.  And he did it!  We also have started pushing him out the doggie door and making him go down the steps himself to go out into the yard and go potty.  No accidents in the house today!

February 27 - Today has been a very good day.  It seems Samson is no longer wanting to pee every 5-10 minutes.  YIPPEE!  I have been taking him out every 20-30 minutes and so far no accidents in the house! 

All the dogs are getting along great and Bella even allowed Sammy to cuddle up on her and sleep for awhile today.  Usually he lays beside her, but today he was actually laying his head on her.  I added pictures in Samson's pics - under 13 weeks.

February 26 - Samson started whining at about 1:45 am...we ignored him and he stopped after about 5 minutes.  This morning I decided not to get up at 4 am with Sammy.  My hubby took him out to go potty and then put him back in his play yard and finished getting ready for work.  Sam didn't like that one bit and cried off and on for about 20 minutes.  The funny thing is that when the kids get up and are milling around in the morning...Samson doesn't cry or carry on at all.  I think it's because we've never had the kids get him out of his play yard.  It's always my husband or I who take him out.

When I got up at 7 am...I took Sammy out and he peed and pooped again.  Then just 5 minutes later my daughter caught him peeing on the floor...she yelled NO NO and I picked him up and took him outside to finish...then praised him and gave him a treat (which is actually a piece of his dry puppy food). 

Samson was playing with the other dogs...but, they pooped out on him and laid down to take naps.  Well, last night Samson and Tucker had "fought" over who was going to get to lay on Mommy's throw in the living room.  Samson won.  So, when the other dogs laid by me to take a nap...Sammy wondered into the living room.  I watched him and he went right to that same throw and laid down.  I told him, "Sammy, come lay out here with us."  He came in and laid by my feet for a little while.  Then he got up and wandered out to the living room again...to the throw...this time he just stood there, didn't lay down.  I looked into the living room and again coaxed him back to me.  Well, the next time he did this, just a few minutes later...he didn't listen to me right away so I got up and went in to the living room...only to find that he was peeing.  I yelled NO NO and took him outside to finish.  Here I thought he just wanted to sleep on that throw like he had the night before.  And by the amount of pee there...I'm sure the time before that he went out to the throw...he must have peed then also.  It really is a BIG problem that Sammy doesn't squat or hike when he pees...there really is no way to tell, just by watching him, whether or not he is just standing there or peeing.  It is very frustrating.

Samson is a regular peeing machine today.  I don't know why, but he is having to go a lot more than usual...of course, since he's been sick and just now feeling better and better, maybe this is his usual??? Anyway, I can take him out and he pees...then just 5 minutes later I catch him peeing in the house.  I really feel like screaming at the top of my lungs.  I have never been this frustrated when training a dog.  I feel like putting him in his play yard and leaving him there...but that won't do any good.  That isn't going to teach him where to go.  So, today (and it's only 8:58 am...I got him up at 7 am) he has already had five pee accidents in the house!  And he's been outside to pee, not counting the times I took him out after he had already went some on the floor, at least 5 times.  That's 10 times he has peed in two hours.  I finally picked up his water dish and am not going to let him have any more water for awhile.  With all my other dogs, I've always allowed them to have water any time they wanted...and especially with Sammy having been so sick, of course I wanted to let him have free access to water.

I think that the combination of it being difficult to tell when he is getting ready to pee, the fact that he hates it outside because it is so cold, and the fact that he was sick for a week after we got him...it is going to make it harder to housebreak Sammy.  Although, I did go back and read Bella's diary and she had quite a few accidents in the house, up until she was 4 1/2 months old, which is when she was completely house trained.  I'm so glad I kept that diary because I always remember Bella as being easy to house break and it's nice now to see that she wasn't perfect. 

I got worried that Samson's excessive peeing was a sign of bladder infection, diabetes or some other illness.  So, we did take a urine sample in to the vet and everything was normal.  They checked for sugar, blood, bacteria, etc.  Sammy does go to the vet for a check up on Friday...so if the excessive peeing hasn't stopped by then or if he is exhibiting any other signs of illness...then they will send a urine sample away for more complex tests.

February 25 - Samson was quiet throughout the night.  He got up at 4 am with my hubby, who took him outside to go potty.  Sammy only peed outside because he had already pooped on the papers in his play yard.  I heard Sam's cries about 4:15 am and knew that he wanted out to play, so I got up with him.  I was carrying him around and he started breathing funny...I remembered that was how he sounded before he would vomit...so I put him down in the kitchen and he did throw up.  Of course, I immediately felt sick to my stomach with worry and wondered if he was getting sick again.  We sat and played and he seemed fine.  So, I think he may just have been really worked up, or maybe it was the way I was holding him, on his stomach???  I definitely will be watching him closely today and if he were to vomit again...he will be going to the vet.  I decided not to feed him, as I don't want him to get used to eating at 4 am.  He went back in his play yard about 4:45 when it was time for my husband to go to work.

At approx. 7:30 am, after the kids had gotten off to school, I got Sammy out, took him outside to go potty and then it was time to eat.  Today we are feeding him only the Purina Puppy food.  He also had his morning antibiotic.  When he was finished eating, I took him out and he peed and pooped.  Then more playing.  Again, he seemed to be fine while running about in the house, so I am hoping that the vomiting was not a sign of illness.  I took him out several times to go pee and then at about 9:00 am he laid down with the other dogs and took a nap.

I felt really bad today because when Samson woke up from his morning nap, I took him out to go pee and he wouldn't go...just kept running back up the steps.  So, I put him in his play yard while I took a shower.  When I got done, I took him out again and still he refused to go pee, so I put him back in the play yard.  He was not happy about this and barked, carried on, scratched at the play yard sides.  I waited about 10 minutes and took him outside again and still he wouldn't go pee...you guessed it, back in the play yard he went.  I tried one more time, still he just ran back up the steps...and again back to the play yard for Sam.  After this last time, I think he realized he was not getting out to run around and he laid down and went to sleep.

The rest of the day went well.  Sammy went to bed without any problems...no whining.

February 24 - Samson went to bed in his play yard with no problems and was quite throughout the night.  My husband got up at 4 am to go to work.  He thought Samson was still sleeping, so he decided to take a shower before taking him out to go potty.  Big Mistake!  I wake up to hear Sam whining at 4:10 and I think that it is because my husband took him out and then put him back in his play yard and he simply wants out to play.  But after about 5 minutes of Sam's cries...I decided to go up and check on him.  There was no mess in his play yard, so I again assumed my hubby had cleaned it up and taken Samson out.  But, I went to the bathroom door and asked him to be sure.  That's when I found out he hadn't.  So, I rushed Sam outside and he went pee and poop right away.  His stool was solid...which is a very good sign that Samson has completely beat the parvo!  So, little Sammy was whining because he didn't want to soil the papers in his play yard...more great news that shows he is getting the idea that he is suppose to potty outside!

Sam acted as if he was starving, so we did give him a little white rice, boiled chicken and puppy chow mixed together...with his daily vitamins.  He gobbled it up, played for about 20 minutes and then I went back to bed and my hubby put Sam back in the play yard when he left for work.  Samson only cried for a couple minutes and then settled down.  Surprisingly he didn't cry when the kids got up and started milling around the house getting ready for school.  Then at 7:20 I got back up and took him outside to go potty.  Since he peed and pooped again, I left him out of the play yard while I drove the kids to school.

Samson and the other dogs played until 8:45 am...and boy did they play hard!  So, I put Sammy back in his play yard for a nap...and the other dogs took advantage of the quiet time to take a nap too.

The rest of the day went well.  Although, it got really cold outside and started snowing pretty hard...which makes me worry about taking Sammy outside to go potty.  He seems to get cold very easily...probably because he is still underweight.  He had one pee accident in the house.  He had just finished eating his dinner and after I pick up his bowl he always sniffs around for a few seconds, looking for any rice that he may have spilled out of his dish.  Well, tonight I picked up his dish and sniffed under the dish, then stopped and peed...Aaagh!  No warning with Sammy...LOL!  I didn't even realize he was doing anything other than standing there until it was too late.  Of course, we told him NO NO, picked him up and rushed him outside where he finished.

He went to bed with no whining tonight.

February 23 - Samson has just continued to amaze us.  He is doing wonderfully.  He has so much energy and is getting along with the other dogs much better than we had ever expected.  Bella still, at times, seems scared of him and will run to hide or run to us for protection.  But, she also will run thru the house with Sammy doing the boot scoot and sometimes they just stand there nose to nose, smelling each other.  My pomeranian, Glory,  has not gone to live with my Aunt yet...and Glory is the one that had so much trouble adjusting to Bella. But, with Samson she hasn't had any problems.  She plays with him just fine.  Tucker is not mothering Samson like he did Bella...not sure if this is because Bella was much smaller and younger (8 weeks) when we brought her home and Sam is bigger (taller) and older (12 weeks)...or if it is because Bella is a female and Sammy is a male. 

We did have the dilemma over what to do about potty training.  The vet said it was fine to begin taking Sammy outside again.  However, I am a worrier and was afraid that it was too cold and that Sam would get sick again.  But, getting Sam to go on papers now that he was out of that room and with the other dogs again...was impossible.  After multiple accidents, we decided we had to go back to taking Samson outside to go potty.  The first time my hubby took him out and immediately he ran around just a bit and then peed and pooped.

We still have the problem of being able to tell if he is getting ready to pee.  With Bella, she would squat...and Tucker would start to hike.  So, we could tell they were getting ready to have an accident and rush them outside.  Samson doesn't squat or hike.  He just stands there.  So, needless to say...I don't know how many times I've rushed over to him, thinking he is peeing and he isn't...and vice versa. 

February 22 - My husband took Samson to the vet this morning.  The vet took out the IV catheter and said Sammy didn't even need to have IV fluids today.  He said he was amazed at Samson's recovery.  I know that Sam had a lot of people out there praying for him to get better.

The vet said that Samson could be with the other dogs now too. He didn't need to stay separated.  That was great news because that meant that I could be with the other dogs too!  I could tell they missed me and when we first brought Samson out to them...it seemed that they really missed him too.  There was quite a bit of running around the house together for awhile.  Samson was so glad to be out of that one room.

Now that Samson was better and especially since the IV catheter was out (so we didn't have to worry about him chewing and pulling it out)...we decided to put him to bed at night in his play yard.  We thought for sure that he would cry all night because he had gotten used to sleeping in bed with us.  However, he surprised us and slept all night without making a peep.

February 21 - We actually got several hours of sleep at one time tonight.  I think it's because Samson is getting the IV fluids, which is helping keep him hydrated and making him feel better.  I'm sure his belly felt better too, with some food in it. 

The vet visit this morning went great.  The vet feels that Samson is doing super and said that if he continues to look this good tomorrow, that they will take out the IV catheter and he won't need to get the IV fluids anymore.  I can't wait for the catheter to come out because now that Sam is feeling better, it is a constant battle with him to not bite at it. 

No fever, no vomiting and Sam is very playful and alert today.  He is still eating and is getting a little larger portions of food...still the white rice and low fat cottage cheese. 

February 20 - Of course, Samson slept with us again.  He has to be kept warm and monitored constantly.  I think that Bella thinks I don't love her anymore.  She is used to me being home all day, giving her attention and love from morning to night.  But, with Samson being ill, I have to be with him all day and he can't be around the other dogs...so that leaves Bella by herself.  I feel really sad about it, but when the kids get home and my husband gets home from work...they do take shifts with Sammy and I try to spend a little time with Bella.

Samson went for his 2nd round of IV fluids and seems better today.  No fever.  He ate 3 small portions of cooked white rice and low fat cottage cheese and kept it all down.  He is still taking his antibiotics by mouth and keeping those down also.  He played some today and was much more alert throughout the day.

I found out that one of Samson's brothers (the puppy that the breeder kept) has also tested positive for parvo.  The breeder doesn't want me to know, but her step-mother has been nice enough to be honest with me.  It turns out that Kristy, Samson's breeder, also took the puppies to her step-mother's house for a few hours before the guy we purchased Sam from picked them up.  And now, the step-mother has had one puppy come down with parvo.  The whole situation is very sad.  Especially since the breeder, who now knows that the puppies contracted parvo while in her care...still won't take responsibility for it and refuses to help with Samson's vet bills.  She won't even respond to my emails.

February 19 - Samson slept in our bed again last night and still got the pedialyte every hour or two and we took him to the papers to go potty throughout the night.  He got up in the morning and had a bowel movement.  It wasn't watery, but wasn't solid either.  But, throughout the day Sam seemed listless.  He would not get down and play and was not interested in eating.  I could tell he was getting worse.  So, as soon as my husband got home and saw how sick he was...he said we were contacting some other vets to get a second opinion.

I called 2 different vets and told them Samson's symptoms.  Both immediately said...parvo.  Then I explained how our vet had told us she couldn't do a parvo test because Sam had been vaccinated on 1/31 and gotten a booster shot on 2/13.  Both told me the same thing...that it wasn't true and that they had a test they could administer that would tell us if what Samson had was parvo.  Of course, we rushed Sam to one of those vets and sadly the parvo test was positive.  They suggested we immediately start him on IV fluids.  They shaved an area on his right front leg and put in an IV catheter where they would administer the fluids daily.  They said that as long as he was not vomiting, we could continue to give him the antibiotic by mouth twice daily, as we had been doing.

We left the vet, with an appointment for 8:30 am the next morning, and we prayed.

February 18 - Samson slept in bed with us last night.  Every hour I gave him some pedialyte with with the medicine dropper and every couple of hours we took him to his newspapers on the floor so he could go pee.  No more vomiting and no bowel movements.  I took him to the vet at 10 am to be checked.  She felt it wasn't necessary to give IV fluids, but did give him one more shot of antibiotic.  As long as he doesn't start vomiting again, I'm to start giving him his antibiotic by mouth (pills).

Sam came home and seemed to be getting better.  We were even able to get him to eat some special soft food the vet sent home with us.  We mixed it with warm water and fed him a tablespoon each feeding.  He also drank on his own several times.  I still continued to give him the pedialyte with the medicine dropper.  When he slept, it was on my lap, covered up with a blanket.  He did get down and play some. 

February 17 - Samson woke up this morning and was vomiting.  His stool was also watery and I thought I saw some blood in it.  I rushed him to the vet...got there as soon as they opened at 9 am.  When I gave her the symptoms, she immediately said it sounded like parvo.  However she said she couldn't test him for it because of the booster shot he just had on the 13th.  So, she said she was just going to treat him as if he had it.  While at the vet's office, Samson had a bowel movement and it had a lot of blood in it.  The smell was like nothing I had ever smelled.  Again, the vet and her assistants said this smell was distinctive to parvo.

Samson had a fever, his gums and inside his mouth was a pale color.  He got a shot of antibiotic (amoxil) and we are to push fluids and bring him back tomorrow morning to be checked.

Samson came home and we set up my sewing room as the Samson Get Well Clinic.  I called my husband at work to tell him the news and he immediately came home.  We cleaned the areas where he had vomited with bleach water and also washed ALL the dog toys, beds, blankets, etc. with bleach.  Bleach is the only thing that is guaranteed to kill parvo.  Upon the advice of the vet, we have quarantined Samson.  Our other dogs are all older and up to date on their shots, so they shouldn't be affected by parvo...however, there is still a possibility they could get sick...AND if Samson actually has some other type of illness, it could be highly contagious to them.  Better safe than sorry.

Besides, Samson needs 24 hour, round the clock care.  So, we put a television and the loveseat and couch from the game room in my sewing room and that is where I will stay with Samson until he is better.  I have to keep giving him pedialyte with a medicine dropper (since he isn't interested in drinking on his own)...I have to keep him warm and monitor him all the time.

February 16 - The past 2 nights, Samson has stayed in his play yard all night without any whining!  Bella is learning to like Sam and they are actually playing together today.  She also has to go out with him whenever he goes potty and has to sit and watch him eat.  We have to supervise them very closely because Bella weighs about 20 pounds, compared to little Samson at 5 pounds.

Samson has had runny stools, so we called the vet yesterday and she said to start giving him Pedialyte to make sure he doesn't dehydrate.  I have to take a stool sample in on Monday and she may put him on an antibiotic if she suspects an intestinal bug.  However, it may be because the people we got him from said they were feeding him Iams and we started him on Purina Puppy Chow.  The reason we didn't feel it was important to give him Iams is because these people had only had him for about 2 days...before that he was at his original breeder's house and we had no idea what he had been fed there.  We did go out and buy some Iams puppy food and have started giving him that...in case the problem is that he can't tolerate the Purina.  He is very active, alert and happy...so hopefully it isn't anything serious and hopefully he will get better soon.

February 14 - Valentine's Day!...and Samson's second day with us.  He is such a joy!  He is very alert and already seems to know his name.  He is a very loving little boy too.  He whines off an on thru the night, but not loud and not for long periods of time.  He cries for about 3-5 minutes when we first put him to bed.  If someone gets up to go to the bathroom during the night, he will see and hear them and might cry for five minutes or so.  My husband gets up for work about 5 am and takes him outside to go potty, then puts him back in the play yard while he takes a shower and gets ready for work.  Of course, Samson will cry during this time.  This morning I heard him, so I got up... got him out...gave him some food and had some play time with him.  Then he went back in the play yard and I went back to bed for an hour or so.

He seems very smart.  If he is running into another room, we just say "no, no" and he stops...then we call his name and he comes back to us.  When I take him outside he seems to understand why he's out there...to go potty.  Of course, he is no way near potty trained.  I don't think they worked with him at all.  He's got a long way to go, but I'm hoping he will learn quickly...especially when he is able to go out the dog door. 

February 13 - Yesterday, we drove 2 hours, to Allen Park, Michigan, to pick up Samson.  Of course, when we originally went...we thought we would be coming home with a fawn female.  But, with Samson...it was love at first sight for my husband and me, and we could tell he felt the same way towards us.  There was no way we could leave him behind.

Samson, along with his 2 sisters, did not look anything like Bella did when she was their age, which was 11 weeks old.  Bella was a rolly polly little girl.  Samson and his sisters were very thin.  They actually looked much too thin to me.  They definitely were not what I was expecting.  But, like I said...our hearts belonged to Samson the minute we laid eyes on him.  The two girls were very "bitey" and seemed more interested in playing with each other.  Samson came to me immediately and wanted to be on my husband's or my lap.  He played, chased our hands as we ran them across the floor, but he didn't constantly bite at us or our girls.  Besides being too thin, he looked healthy...eyes were clear, he was alert, no bites or sores on his skin.  We could tell he definitely did not come from the best situation, and I realized that buying him was going against almost every rule I had set for myself...but we couldn't leave him there.

Today, we took Samson to the vet and she agreed with us that he looked too thin.  He weighed 5 pounds.  Of course, part of his lean look may be that he is going to be longer legged and leaner than Bella...but part of it was definitely that he needed more to eat.  His outer ears were a little dirty, but no mites or bugs in his ears.

Bella and Tucker don't know what to think of Samson yet.  He wants to play and they just run away...LOL!  It's going to take some time to get used to their new friend.