This
is the story of little Lentil Bean, as told by his foster mom...that
is- until he is old enough to put his “own” perspective into
words!
Eleven
pm on February 3, I received a phone call from my FBRN Foster Manager
asking if I was up for tube feeding 2 newborn Frenchies with severe
cleft palates and deformed noses. I told her that I would have to
think about it, but the truth is -- I was already gathering up my
heating pads and baby supplies before we even got off the phone!
From that moment, I was in “mom mode.” Anyone who knows me,
knows that I can't say “no” to a bulldog....especially one with
special needs.
The next
morning, I had called her back and agreed that I would take them on.
By 5pm, I found myself driving to northern Jersey to pick up a box of
babies that would change my life forever.
The
drive back to Hope Veterinary Specialists seemed as if it were taking
days. I'm sitting next to a cardboard box with these 2 little
“beans” that I have yet to even hold, and already, the attachment
to them was huge. At one point, I peeked in, and promised them that
I was there to take them as far as they were willing/able to go. I
am dedicated to doing just that.
After
getting our supplies of tubes and syringes, the 3 of us headed back
to my house to set up for the long road that was ahead of us.
Edamame, Lentil's sister, was extremely lethargic and suffering from
severe aspiration pneumonia. The fluid in her lungs was so bad, you
could feel it without even having to listen for it. The night was
long, but the 3 of us pulled through...somehow. I had never given up
on Edamame, but it was obvious from the start, that she was tired.
Edamame passed about 17hrs later. Whether you've had a dog in your
care for years, or just for a few short hours, it's always difficult
to lose them. However, I do take comfort knowing that she was loved.
It took
me awhile to gain the courage to actually write this blog. With any
baby, but even more so a special needs baby, life continuously has
its ups and downs. Lentil and I are still plugging away....and this
is our story...
Day 1
with me, Lentil weighed in at a mere 5.7oz- it's hard to even put
something that tiny into perspective- and even harder for me to
believe that something that small can have such a strong will to
survive. It seemed as if there were so many odds against him, and
after losing his sister (which was the third in the litter to pass
on), life became much scarier for both us.
My daily
routine is now focused around him. Instead of sleep, I have 2hr
naps. Every morning at 8am, it's weighing time. Once I have his
current weight for the day, it's time to calculate food intake. (I
knew math class would come in handy one day)! Then it's insert tube,
check once, twice, and then a third time (because I'm an overly
cautious “mom”) that the tube is in his stomach. Once I'm
confident, remove the dry syringe and place the formula filled
syringe onto the tube to feed. Wash everything and repeat 2 hours
later... I've bottle fed countless homeless pups over the years, but
this is much different. The act of having to insert a tube into a
tiny baby's mouth and into his stomach every 2 hours is something
that I don't think will ever become less frightening. And as he
grows, and becomes more of a puppy- it becomes even more stressful.
He now sees me, sees the tube and gets excited to be able to
“eat”...it's tough to keep an excited pup under control!
Although, I have to say, I would much rather my task be harder, as it
shows that his life is becoming easier.
We are
now on Day 15 together. We've seen our vet more times than I'd like
to admit...because it's usually me that's having a panic attack. I
can truly say at this point that the doctors and staff at Bethel Mill
are more caring and patient than I could have ever asked for, and I
can't thank them enough for dealing with my craziness! I can't stop
looking at him and worrying. Each day he changes. He's grown now
from 5.7oz to 13.2oz this morning! And on Valentine's Day, he gave
me the gift of opening his eyes!
Lentil
has a long road ahead of him, but I feel as though we are on the
right track. We still don't know what the future holds, so he and I
make sure to make every day special. I cherish every moment I have
with him, and I wanted to be able to share these moments with anyone
who is interested in reading it. This is the story of Lentil....the
puppy who eats from a tube <3
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