December 15, 2009 ~ Patty's updates on Rambo have been fantastic. He is healing well thanks to the diligence she and Bruce are putting into being sure that nothing but his meals go into his mouth ... not an easy task with a busy 5 month old whippet puppy! Ram saw Dr. Pavletic yesterday and is on track to recover to a fully normal dog. (You may recognize Dr. Pavletic's photo from the 11/09 Reader's Digest profile.) Patty is feeding him small Bil-Jac meatballs many times a day. He's had a good appetite. He has two more weeks of meatballs ahead before he is allowed any dietary/consistency changes. Soft toys can be reintroduced in January and rawhide is months away. Patty reports that he is learning how to drink all over again and he has developed some very impressive snoring. I want to again thank everyone at Angell, especially those involved with surgical and nutritional services. You have been so helpful with our special needs boy. He wouldn't have made it this far without you! I will continue to post news and photos as Patty sends them.

December 11, 2009 ~ The repair has been made! On December 9th Rambo had surgery to repair his cleft palate. The surgery was done by the highly skilled surgical staff at Angell Memorial, led by Dr. Michael Pavletic. Patty said there was a large gallery of vets and vet students that had come in to watch Dr. Pavletic perform the techniques he has had so much success with. The Ramster spent the night at Angell where he had the very best of care from nurses and residents who saw to his every need through the night. They closely monitored him as the effects of the anesthesia wore off, kept him comfortable with pain medicine, and made sure he didn't fiddle with his mouth and upset the newly corrected palate. In the morning, Dr. Pavletic examined his surgical masterpiece before feeding Rambo some small meatballs, which were eagerly consumed. Ram has now returned home with Patty and Bruce. Patty said there is no external evidence of his palate correction and Ram doesn't act like his mouth is bothering him at all. She is still continually monitoring him and hand feeding him tiny balls of thawed frozen formula Bil-Jac. He will need to be on this soft diet for a few weeks.

December 4, 2009 ~  8.66 kg

December 1, 2009 ~ 8.64 kg

November 28, 2009 ~ 8.7 kg

November 25, 2009 ~ 8.31 kg

November 23, 2009 ~ 8.34 kg

November 22, 2009 ~ 8.15 kg

November 18, 2009 ~ 7.96 kg

November 15, 2009 ~ 7.62 kg

November 12, 2009 ~ 7.44 kg

November 11, 2009 ~ 7.37 kg

November 10, 2009 ~ 7.41 kg

November 8, 2009 ~ 7.31 kg

November 4, 2009 ~ 7.26 kg

November 3, 2009 ~ 6.96 kg

November 2, 2009 ~ 6.92 kg

November 1, 2009 ~ 6.94 kg

October 31, 2009 ~ This was an agility weekend for us and we took Rambo along to the local trials. I asked one of our sheltie friends if she had any fuzz balls so that Rambo could dress up as a silken windsprite. Suddenly another friend whipped out some costumes that were too small for her Springers but just right for Rammy. He drew a crowd and lots of giggles dressed as a vamipre and a dragon. He ate up the attention. Rambo is in another growth spurt but he lost some weight over the weekend , filling up on treats while he watched dogs running from ringside. It seemed like everyone had one last treat in their pocket for him. He hasn't yet met a stranger. With all of the treats Rammy also learned a new trick. He had a whole weekend to perfect climbing admirers by tucking a front foot in their pants pocket and then scrambling the rest of himself up their leg. Rambo made sure everyone had a chance to hug the whippet puppy. He's cute AND creative!

October 30, 2009 ~ 6.96 kg

October 29, 2009 ~ 6.71 kg

October 28, 2009 ~ 6.76 kg

October 27, 2009 ~ 6.46 kg

October 26, 2009 ~ 6.25 kg am, 6.41 kg pm

October 24, 2009 ~ 6.19 kg

October 23, 2009 ~ 5.92 kg

October 20, 2009 ~ 5.71 am, 5.97 kg pm

October 19, 2009 ~ 5.71 kg

October 18, 2009 ~ 5.56 kg

October 14, 2009 ~ 5.47kg

October 12, 2009 ~ 5.42kg

October 11, 2009 ~ 5.31kg

October 10, 2009 ~ 5.32kg

October 9, 2009 ~ 5.26kg

October 8, 2009 ~ 4.82kg

October 6, 2009 ~ 4.9kg

October 5, 2009 ~ 4.8kg

October 4, 2009 ~ 4.82kg

October 2, 2009 ~ 4.71kg

October 1, 2009 ~ 4.64kg

September 30, 2009 ~ 4.26kg

September 29, 2009 ~ 4.36kg

September 28, 2990 ~ 4.36 kg

September 27, 2009 ~ 10pm 4.34kg

September 26, 2009 ~ 11pm 4.26kg

September 25, 2009 ~ pm 4.20kg

September 24, 2009

am 3.96 kg

pm 4.08 kg

September 23, 2009

9am 3.92 kg

10pm 4.02kg

September 22, 2009

8am 3.66kg

5pm 3.86kg

10pm 3.96kg

September 21, 2009 ~ 11pm 3.71kg

September 20, 2009 ~ We missed some weigh-ins as we took Rambo on the road for the weekend. He had a great time socializing at the agility trials and he ate almost everything that was offered to him. He really enjoyed the hamburger that the ladies of the "Greyhound Grill" cooked up for him. Anytime he saw me eating he wanted to try what I had ... so he had quality food and junk food this weekend and still kept good stools.

On a side note, we spoke with a friend who worked in a large whippet kennel years ago and assisted in raising a cleft puppy. She said that their cleft puppy went on temporary hunger strikes every week too. I have discovered that Rambo finds breakfast bars irresistable (Kellogg's and Nutragrain are equally appreciated). Now when he turns a nose to his dish in the morning I break open my bar ... he is always eager to share. Just getting SOMETHING into him seems to bring back his desire to eat.

10pm 3.70kg

September 18, 2009

12pm 3.30kg

September 17, 2009

12pm 3.35kg

11pm 3.43kg

September 16, 2009

9am 3.09kg

6:30pm 3.23kg

11pm 3.30kg

September 15, 2009 ~ 3.31kg, 3.21kg, 3.34kg

September 14, 2009 ~ another anorexic start to the day. He refused breakfast.

8am 3.12kg

12pm 3.09kg

3:30pm 3.20kg

September 13, 2009 ~ 10:30pm 3.23kg

September 12, 2009 ~ I am pleased to report that Rambo is feeling and looking really good. He is still small but after two consecutive weekends of hunger strikes this week he has regained some of the body fat that he had lost. This past week I made a great effort to try to give him four meals a day, taking advantage of his newly found ravenous appetite. Finally reaching 3 kg was a milestone that we had eagerly anticipated. Rambo looks smaller than half the size of his brother though the scale says that's the case. I want to again thank everyone who has been helping with him, especially Dr. Patty Ewing who has gone above and beyond to keep him off of HER operating table!

7:30am 3.24kg

September 11, 2009

9am 3.10kg before breakfast

9:30 3.26kg after breakfast

9:30pm 3.44kg

September 10, 2009 ~ Today Rambo woke up weighing slightly over 3kg! As a comparison, Sangie weighed 13.4 lbs (6.09kg)

9am 3.03kg

8:30pm 3.17kg

11pm 3.23kg

September 9, 2009

8am 2.95kg

10:30pm 2.97kg

11:15pm 3:02kg after a late snack of BilJac frozen

September 8, 2009

9:30am 2.78kg

12:00pm 2.87kg

5pm 2.91kg

8:30pm 2.96kg

10:30pm 2.94kg

September 7, 2009

morning 2.81kg

8:30pm 2.76kg

September 6, 2009

10:30am 2.9kg

6:30pm 2.89kg

11:30pm 2.83kg

September 5, 2009

10am 2.87kg

mid day 2.91kg

11:30pm 2.89kg

September 4, 2009

9:30am 2.83kg

11pm 2.91kg

September 3, 2009

9:30am 2.83kg

5:20pm 2.96kg

11:30pm 2.93kg

September 2, 2009 ~ Rambo was ravenous this morning and dove into the kibble dish. Again todays meals were ProPlan Performance with EVO small bite chicken and Royal Canin Puppy 33, with some canned Pedigree. When I weighed him at noon he had a big full belly! Today his weights were 9:00am 2.61kg, 12:15pm 2.71kg. Tonight at 10pm he was ... 2.87kg! Rambo does have free access to water so some of his weight fluctuations may be due to his taking large drinks. He drinks from the same dish or bucket as his littermates but when he swallows he tips his head back like a bird.

I want to again thank the experts at Angell Memorial for all of their help with Rambo. Dr. Remillard and Dr. Willis from the Angell Nutrition Service have been so helpful in helping us grow Rambo up so that he can have his surgery in a few months. THANK YOU!!!

September 1, 2009 ~ Rambo's appetite is returning. I had mixed ProPlan Performance with EVO small bite chicken and Royal Canin Puppy 33, with some canned Pedigree and added the remaining half of an open can of AD with his breakfast. He dug right in. He was with his siblings for all of their meals and had a bedtime snack of the rest of the prime rib. Arthur Cat decided to join in but was quickly run off by little Rambo. Not only is he hungry but he's now protecting his food! His weights today were:10am 2.56kg, 3pm 2.62kg, 8:30pm 2.61kg, 10:30pm 2.64kg

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