9 Month Check Up

Harper went to the doctor for her 9 month check up. While we waited for the doctor, Harper discovered that the paper on the table made noise. Soon she was kicking and pulling the paper....I thought about stopping her from destroying the paper, but in the end decided it was harmless (and really cute), so I let her play.

After her play session on the table, ehe was happy to see Dr. Peterson and was very well behaved during the appointment. She sat quietly while they listened to her heart and looked into her eyes and ears. Harper is up to 18 lbs 8 oz (42 percentile) and is 27.8" long (53 percentile). Dr. Peterson was happy with her growth and ok'ed for us to continue trying new foods. Overall the doctor was happy with Harper's development. We need to continue working on gross motor skills (standing, crawling, etc) and will continue to work on her communication skills, but the doctor was very impressed by her fine motor skills and problem solving skills.

I'm Going to Get You!

Harper has yet to find the motivation to crawl. I think Riley (or Puppy as Harper knows her) is going to be what finally pushes her over the edge to be mobile. Harper LOVES anything related to the puppy - her bones, her ball, her Kong. She will stretch out to get a bone or a toy. The best thing is if she actually gets to touch Riley. The other night she almost rolled into a kneeling position while straining to pet Riley. Watch out, Riley, it won't be long until Harper is chasing you!

9 Months!

Harper turned 9 months old while we were in Okoboji. Looking back, it's amazing how much she has changed in the past month (and, no, she isn't crawling). In the past few weeks, Harper's personality has grown. She loves to babble - only her babbles are starting to sound more like words. She will frequently tell us stories that sound like "Dadadadada dadadad daa maadadamaa!" The expression on her face is priceless - she is definitely trying to tell us something.

Although she isn't crawling, Harper is REACHING for items. She will strain to get something - however, she will not drag herself or roll to get anything. If she really wants something, she will cry long and hard until someone eventually gives in or picks her up. (She's stubborn - we might be in for a loooong childhood!) She is very good with her hands and likes to pick up toys and examine them. She is big on slapping her toys or slamming them down on the ground - making loud noises must be fun!

Harper has recently taken to eating wagon wheels and crackers - she loves to hold the items and gnaw on them. Although she loves her new treats, she still adores eating puffs! She also now has two additional teeth - they are very small, but both front teeth have broken through her gums. She is a great vegetable eater and does ok with eating fruit. We started mixing meat into some of her babyfood and she hasn't noticed a difference. She is eating bottles throughout the day - and still only eats between 4 and 6 ounces at a time. The best news - we are no longer on medicine for acid reflux! Wohoo!

It's hard to believe that we have a 9 month old. Time is absolutely flying and our little angel  will soon be a little girl. In the meantime, we are going to continue to embrace every day we have with our Smunchkin and continue to load her down with kisses, hugs and snuggles!

Okoboji Vacation

Vacation Season has started! We went up and stayed with Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Dennis in Okoboji. This was Harper's first vacation and we were all very excited to get away for a few days. The first day we met Ruth, Dennis, and Aunt Em in Humboldt. We hung out for a few hours before traveling over to Okoboji. Ruth and Dennis recently acquired a beautiful 3 bedroom condo on East Okoboji. We spent the afternoon and evening sitting on the deck enjoying the view, cocktails, finger foods and good conversation.

The next day, we rented a 22' boat to cruise around on the lakes. It was a great way to see all of the lakes and the gorgeous waterfront homes. Harper was bundled up in safety gear - which was quite a lot for someone so small! Although she was bundled up and likely warm, she didn't complain and enjoyed spending the day on the lake. We stopped for lunch at the Barefoot Bar before jumping back on the water. Later, Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Dennis took Harper back to the condo to cool down while Ross, Em and I went boating & floating some more. We all got a lot of sun and it was a perfect way to spend the day. That evening we had a true Iowa meal back at the condo - steak and sweet corn! Wow, what a treat!

On our final full day in Okaboji, we ran to the Central Emporium Shops and to look at some boats. (It's sure fun to dream about owning one!) After lunch we split up - Ruthanne and Dennis ran to more shops and Harper, Ross, Em and I went to the waterpark at the resort. The condo is attached to Boji Splash Indoor Waterpark. Although Harper is a bit young to run around the waterpark right now, we wanted to check it out. We spent a little while splashing in the water and going around the lazy river. Ross even took her down one of the kiddie slides! That evening we had a relaxed dinner at Roccos, which overlooks the water. Afterwards we went down to Arnolds Park to walk around. There was a band playing at the band shell which was a neat addition to the beautiful sunset.

Overall it was a fabulous vacation. It was great to spend time with family and do some relaxing. The only downside was that Harper began teething at the beginning on the trip - and when Harper is uncomfortable, she will let you know! Even with her mouth hurting, she was a trooper and I would say that our first family vacation was a success!

Riley Update

The Thursday after Riley's bloating episode, she went in for gastropexy surrgery. Gastropexy is a surgical operation in which the stomach is sutured to the adbominal wall. It is very likely that she will bloat again - the gastropexy will help prevent the stomach from flipping during future incidents. It's not guarenteed to prevent her stomach from flipping, but it does greatly increase the likelihood of living. :)

Dr. Jassen, our vet, said the surgery went well. Dr. Jassen worked at the ER vet previously and thus has  performed MANY MANY MANY gastropexy surgeries. It is a major abdominal surgery that left Riley with a 3" scar. Riley went through the surgery fine and came out of the anesthesia easily.  However, upon waking up she discovered she was in a hospital kennel and freaked out. To prevent her from hurting herself, she was moved into one of the exam rooms where she was much happier and spent the day recovering on a blanket. That evening we picked her up and brought her (and a bunch of medicine) home. 

Riley was very happy to be home - and very drugged. Surgery had taken a lot out of her so she would stand in one spot with a stoned expression and sway. Her spacey demeanor didn't stop her from jumping onto the deck or the couch - it's hard to keep a weim down. By the next day Riley was feeling much better and the stoned expression was gone. She has been content to nap more frequently but still wants to follow us from room to room. The doctor was surprised by her lack of reaction to the meds - he had even prescribed us an extra sedative because of her spunkiness while recovering at the vet. She is calmer than normal but she no where near resembles the drugged dog that came home on Thursday. Riley has had a fairly good recovery but I can tell she is anxious to get off her meds and get back to running circles around us!

Future Chatterbox

Harper has always been very vocal. Ross and I love to converse with her. Lately she has been trying a different way to talk. To be honest it sounds like she is trying to throw up - but we find it really funny. Here is a clip of our little angel trying to tell us something.

Riley

As the owners of a weimaraner, Ross and I were aware that the breed was more included to bloat. Bloat is a medical condition in which the stomach becomes overstretched by excessive gas content. It is also commonly referred to as torsion, gastric torsion, and gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) when the stomach is also twisted. The word bloat is often used as a general term to cover gas distension of the stomach with or without twisting. In dogs, gas accumulation in the stomach is usually associated with volvulus of the stomach, which prevents gas from escaping. Deep-chested breeds are especially at risk. Mortality rates from bloat in dogs range from 10 to 60 percent, even with treatment. Bloat is more common in deep chested breeds - which obviously include weimaraners.  Since we work with the IWR, I hear stories about dogs passing away from bloat on a regular basis. Sadly it’s common but as responsible dog owners it’s good to be educated and prepared in case an episode ever presents itself.

On Saturday morning I took Riley for a long walk out at Raccoon River Park. Although it was hot outside, I figured we wouldn’t have a problem with the 3.1 mile trail. I packed three bottles of water (and a bowl) in the car for our return – 2 bottles for Riley and 1 for me! The walk was hot and by the time we got to the car Riley just wanted to lay down. She took a little sip of water and then I poured some on her paws, chest and back before we drove home. When we arrived at home Riley had a difficult time walking – I think she was overheated from the heat – so I put her in the shower and let the cold water bring down her body temperate. Once her core temperature cooled down she was thirsty! I let her drink out of the shower facet (her favorite place to get a drink). The poor girl was dehydrated!

Only a short while later Ross and I noticed that Riley was acting strange – she kept shifting her weight. She looked uncomfortable and her hind legs were in a strange position. Finally the lights went off in our head when Ross commented she looked bloated – her stomach bulged on both sides! We immediately called the vet but the next appointment wasn’t for 90 minutes. In the meantime I called Mandy, IWR’s director, to ask some additional signs about bloat. Mandy said we would likely hear a gurgling noise (from twisting). She also said that if she began vomiting we should take her in immediately. As soon as I hung up the phone Riley tossed her cookies. Ross immediately threw on her leash and took off for the vet while I stayed home with Harper.

The vet looked Riley over but couldn’t diagnose her without taking an xray (which the office did not have). So, Ross threw Riley back in the car and headed over to the ER Vet for an xray. The xray confirmed that Riley had bloated. But, the great news was that the stomach had not twisted. The ER admitted her and drained her stomach of the water and air. They kept her overnight on an IV and so they could observe her. We were very happy to pick her up on Sunday morning. Riley was very excited to see us. She happily spent the day recovering at home.

Recurrence of bloat attacks can be a problem, occurring in up to 80 percent of dogs treated medically only (without surgery). We were very lucky that Riley’s stomach didn’t twist but we don’t want to risk another episode so Riley Roo will be going under the knife in a few days. She will have a gastropexy in which they will suture the stomach to her abdominal wall. 

"I'm Full"

Harper is very stubborn. Once she makes a decision, she sticks to it. When she decides she is full, she is DONE eating. Sometimes she get's fussy but other times she is just silly. 

Grady Update

Gman has recently began camping out in the living room overnight. During the day he will siton the back of the couch and stare out the window.  At night he used to curl up at the end of the bed and sleep with us or in his cat bed. However, recently he's begun sleeping on the doormat in the living room. It doesn't look soft or comfortable - but he seems to enjoy it.

Smuncky Sue

We really like making up songs at our house. It's quite rare that a song will actually be song with the correct lyrics. We like to talk from Harper's viewpoint in the songs and rhymes. Ross's newest chant is "My name is Smuncky Sue and I'm cuter than you."

Iowa Weimaraner K9 5K

As you probably know, I am an active volunteer with the Iowa Weimaraner Rescue( IWR). We no longer foster dogs, but I am the application coordinator and newsletter editor. IWR held its first 5K last weekend. The event had two races - an elite race for serious competitors and a fun run for those who wanted a good workout. People were also allowed to bring out their dogs for the fun run - it was neat to see all the different breeds that people brought out for the event. Harper (who I like to refer to as IWR's youngest volunteer) and I arrived early to help out, but mainly spent the morning talking with other volunteers about possible future projects. Since Ross is training for Tough Mudder he decided to run the 5K. My brother, who is becoming a runner this summer, also signed up for the race. The guys did a great job finishing in 33 (Ross & Riley) and 40 minutes (Dave). It was a steamy morning so their times were especially impressive. I was happy that we were all there to support an organization that is near and dear to my heart!