From Russia with BuLLdoG Love Part 2

Rosebud My puppy's Internet name was "Rosebud". Her name was very contradictory to her odor! All the way home, while trying to ignore the smell, we tried to think of a good name for her but we just couldn't come up with the perfect name for her. However, the name "Stinky" was mentioned more than once! Since we really didn't know her yet. We would see what kind of personality she had and then we could come up with a suitable name...the perfect name for the perfect puppy.

Back at the cottage with one stinky puppy to bathe...stinkystinky puppy!
Joei pledges to help me bathe our new furbaby. So we run some nice warm water into the bathtub, close the door and wait for the bathroom to warm up a bit. Armed with medicated dog shampoo, coat conditioning rinse, washclothes, towels and one stinky bulldog. We tackle this mission head on.

Remember, it's the Fourth of July...it's over 100 degrees outside and we are in a HUMID bathroom with a stinky puppy...I'm thinking it's cooler outside in the sun than it is in this bathroom! It was HOT and oh, so humid and steamy in that bathroom!
It was my baby's first bath. She was really enjoying the whole bath experience...she even drank some of the bath water! She was loving it! While bathing her, I noticed what looked like a tattoo on her fat little freckled belly. After the bath, we towel dried her and then used the hair dryer to get into all the deep nooks and crannies of her cute mass of bulldog wrinkles.

After the bath, all fresh,clean and dry she felt so good...and smelled so good! Like a puppy should!

She was running around, checking everything out. She made herself right at home. It was as if she knew this was home! Home Sweet Bulldog Home! She was sooo happy! We found out very soon that she is a yapper! She was one gabby little girl! Hey, "Gabby Girl"...we will name her "Gabby". Great! She officially has a name. The name "Gabby" was ephemeral. You see we have a sweeter than sweet Boxer named "Maggie". Every time we called sweet "Gabby"...sweet "Maggie" came, too. Maggie was confused...poor Mags! OK...back to the "name game". The name "Gabby" is OUT!

Back to the tattoo on her tummy. After "Rosebud" had checked everything out and put the the other dogs in their place, she was one tired puppy. I picked her up and held her. Ahhh...she smelled so good...like fresh cut lavender. She gave me some of the sweetest bulldog kisses ever! We had bonded. Soon she was falling asleep in my lap. I rolled her over on her back and she fell sound asleep...sleeping and snoring in my lap. The series of letters and numbers on her tummy was indeed a tattoo. Why would someone tattoo a puppy?

I continued to be skeptical about the whole puppy deal so I called "D" the seller. I asked about the tattoo on her tummy. "D" told me that it had something to do with her microchip. It sounded strange but who was I to say it wasn't. I also asked "D" about the cough and the spots on her skin. "D" told me that she had not noticed the spots on her skin until she picked her up to put her into her car. She told me that she had medicated her for the skin problem and it was absolutely nothing to worry about. She assured me, the puppy is healthy. The cough..."probably stress". Yeah right, this is one stressed puppy...in my lap, belly up snoring! I wish I were stressed like this!

The "name game" continues...We had noticed that she was quite a little punk to the other dogs! She is after-all a bullie! And it seemed she was out to prove it! In less than a couple of days she had become ruler of the roost, queen of her castle, diva of the dynasty -- a bossy little bullie! A little punk! "Punkie", yeah that's a good name, right? We started calling her "Punkie" and she came. Maggie didn't. It's was official..."Punkie" it is!

The holiday weekend came and went...Punkie was settling in just fine. Making herself right at home and punking out all the other dogs...living up to her name!

Monday, I called and made a vet's appointment for Punkie's initial check-up. They couldn't get her in until Thursday. All day Monday, Punkie seemed to be sleeping more than she had slept over the weekend. Her coughing was a little more pronounced, as well. Being the worry wart that I am...I was a little concerned but I kept reminding myself that she had an appointment on Thursday morning.

Late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, Punkie began wheezing, felt feverish and started to have a nasal discharge. It's the middle of the night...I am worried sick. The wee hours of the morning...2:00 am...2:15 am...3:00 am...3:30 am...the minutes are ticking by sooooo s-l-o-w-l-y. Each minute seems like an eternity. I just want it to be 9:00 am. I want to call the vet! Finally, I get in touch with the vet and they tell me to bring her right in. They will take Punkie in front of scheduled appointments and treat her as an emergency. YES!

We get right in...I love "Dr.C" and "Dr.S"...they are such wonderful vets! But they don't have a wonderful diagnosis for Punkie. The cough is because she has pneumonia. The runny nose is due to an upper-respiratory infection. The doc goes on to tell me that they cannot rule out Distemper which there is no cure for. At this point, the tears are welling up...The spots on her skin is a serious staph infection. The tattoo on her fat tummy is an import number. She also has a very rare gastrointestinal bacteria, Spirochetes not usually seen in the USA.

Dr. C goes on to say that more than likely, Punkie is from a Russian puppy

mill.

Oh no, this can't be happening. I would never support a puppy mill by buying a puppy that came from one of those horrid places! I bought this puppy from a reputable breeder...Punkie was home bred and raised! "D" the puppy seller told me so...it says so on her website. But she also said that all her puppies are the healthiest you can get...Punkie has a One-Year Health Guarantee. This can't be happening!

OK...I must get a grip! I have to deal with this and not panic...I have a very sick puppy to take care of. Dr. C prescribes two different antibiotics to be given twice a day for 3 weeks, a medication to boost her immune system, and instructions for respiratory treatments. I've already started giving her DanActive for her immune system. I started DanActive on day one when I brought her home...Dr. C tells me to continue with it. Overwhelmed, I drive home. In tears!

A box of Kleenex in hand...wiping Punkie's nose and drying my tears! When I get home, I regain my composure. Somewhat. Well, at least enough to do what I should have done BEFORE I bought a puppy on the Internet. I googled "Epuppypro.com". I was aghast! I was reading one horror story after the other...about puppies that had been sold by "D" on her website as well as "D's" sister on "LoBoPuppies.com".

I could not believe so many people had been "scammed" just as I had been. It was confirmed...my Punkie came from a Russian puppy mill. I was heartbroken thinking about what she had been through in her short little life. Poor, poor baby...

Many of the puppies who had the same upper-respiratory infection and pneumonia didn't make it through the illness...even with the same treatment that I had just started Punkie on. I was devastated! But I was determined that Punkie would pull through this regardless of what it would

take. I was committed. Punkie will make it...

Punkie says "bye-bye" for now. "Mom has to start dinner. Mr. S will be home soon. I like to sit in the kitchen...Mom always gives me a bite when she's is cooking. Will you come back tomorrow to find out the rest of my story?" Please do...