Puff the dog -- an update from Sandy Banks
When Sandy Banks wrote about her dog, Puff, she got mail. Lots and lots of mail. And she got inquiries about his health. So many, in fact, it was clearly time for a Puff Update. Sandy writes:
It's been almost four weeks since my little dog Puff was hospitalized and hooked up to an IV, with a diagnosis of diabetes. So why does it seem so much longer?
Probably because everyone in the family now has to arrange busy schedules around a 10-pound dog's medical needs. Puff is on a special diet and has to be fed at the same time each day -- at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. -- then injected between his tiny shoulders with a squirt of insulin.
We've weathered one crisis. A walk around the block caused his blood sugar to drop and led him to collapse and wobble around like he'd gotten into the vodka. My daughter recognized hypoglycemia and we zapped Puff with 5 cc's of dextrose from a syringe the vet had provided. He was steady five minutes later.
Other than that, he's been a good patient. He's still a little listless, but he eats well and he's beginning to bounce around again.
And Puff wants me to give a shout-out to Ellen DeGeneres. The talk show host sent him a get-well package of natural food and treats. Mixing "Spot's Stew" with Puff's medically prescribed gruel was the only way to get him to eat.
He's gained almost two pounds, and it's so nice to cuddle him and not feel those bony ribs.
After running his photo, I'm thinking Puff is going to need a press secretary of his very own.
--Veronique de Turenne
