The vet was impressed when she took Louie in that week.
“He’s almost doubled his weight,” he said happily. “Well done, Mrs. Jones.”
BB didn’t correct him on the name, just let him think she was married. “Thank you. I’ve worked hard for those ounces,” she laughed.
He held the stethoscope to the wriggling pup’s chest, listening. “And the rattling is almost completely gone. We’ll continue the antibiotics a little longer just to be sure.”
He moved the puppy around, checking him over, then eventually handed him back to BB. “I think he looks great. Any concerns?”
She asked him about spacing out the feedings.
“That’s completely fine. As long as he’s getting sustenance fairly regularly you can adapt it to your schedule.”
The little bit of tension that BB had been feeling faded away. “That’s excellent news.”
“If you don’t have any other issues I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“Perfect,” she grinned, gathering her stuff. Louie fit perfectly into a purse she’d bought for Frankie years ago that the dog had since outgrown.
Liz stopped in to see the pup and gush over his growth, advising BB that she could up the formula dosage. “He looks so good!”
BB grinned, feeling like they’d made it over a hurdle. “Thank you. I’m not going to lie, it’s been a lot of work. If we can start lengthening out the feedings it’ll make it easier.”
Liz nodded. “Understandable. Stick to the two and a half hours for a while, then start extending it out by five or ten minutes.”
BB nodded. “Will do.”
As she walked out of the vet’s office, purse held close, she appreciated the vet tech’s encouraging words.
Maybe eventually she could get back to a regular sleep schedule one of these days. She was feeling so worn down from caring for Louie and trying to do her job at the same time, her body was seriously feeling the effects. Maybe now that they were over this milestone she could let Mary take a few feedings here and there and catch up on some sleep.
Frankie jumped for joy when they came in the front door. She had accepted the pup for the most part and didn’t appear to begrudge him the time BB cared for him. BB tried to pay special attention to the older dog, which she loved, and she made sure to take her for longer walks when she could. BB didn’t want Frankie to feel displaced by the puppy so even as tired as she was she made sure to dote on Frankie as much as she could.
At a little over a month old Louie could get himself pretty much anywhere he cared to go. There was a determination in the dog she’d never seen before and as soon as he realized he could follow Frankie, it was all he did. Luckily, Frankie was very patient with him, surprisingly so. BB thought that she treated him like he was her own baby, which was adorable. When she was done being patient she would jump up onto the furniture to get away from him, sending Louie into a furious barking tantrum.
Then the pup started to disappear. When the house went quiet for too long BB would have to go hunting. Twice she found him wedged between the washer and dryer, ass out. Once he managed to get behind the dryer, then yowled for rescue when he couldn’t get turned around because he was so fat. When she pulled him out, covered in lint, he wiggled his cute little puppy butt and licked her like crazy. It was adorable. But dangerous. In an effort to curb the disappearing, as well as the multiple puddles and presents he left in his venturing, she bought a multi-panel puppy pen. She layered it with puppy pads, a bed, and as many toys as she had, but he still got aggravated at being contained. Sometimes she put Frankie in with him which calmed him a little, but Frankie needed to be able to get away from him. BB didn’t want her to have any resentment to the pup.
Louie continued to grow and thrive. At six weeks he was heavy enough to drag the puppy play pen, along with all the contents, wherever he wanted to go. BB thought she was going crazy and when she walked into the back bedroom she used as her studio and he was gone. Completely gone. As well as all his stuff. She found him down the hall, the fence wedged into the laundry room.
“Oh, Louie… You’re going to drive me bonkers, little man,” she groused, picking him up. He licked her neck and started to chew on her fingers, irreverent. She shook her head and put him down on the floor to attack Frankie.
At six weeks BB also started him on small hard food in addition to the formula. He didn’t take to it at first but eventually he realized it wasn’t so bad. By eight weeks he’d basically weaned himself to the
