Mijoy Yorkies and Mijoy Biewers

This is the story of PIXIEDOLL a very tiny yorkie, who could have lost her life at 5 weeks of age, had we not persisted and taken further medical advice – she is now a perfectly happy, healthy baby, with attitude…….

Pic taken of Pixiedoll one day short of five weeks old. 

Diary of Pixie Doll…………

I was born naturally, in a litter of four pups. I was not any smaller or bigger than my litter mates. My mother is Dolly and my father is Jay.

As we got older my human mother noticed I was smaller than the others. At two weeks of age I struggled feeding for a couple of days and was supplemented, got back on track pretty quickly again.

The day I was 25 days old,  my human mother took me to the vet, for a check up. She did not think there was anything wrong with me, but just a check up. The vet seemed happy enough – he did however, remark I was tiny, and what he could check up on he did, I was 130gms. I had been eating soft food since I was 18 days old which is normal and I also ate softened Royal Canin kibble.

The following day – day 26 I started with what my human mother would call the twitchies, my eyes would twitch like a bunny rabbit’s nose for a split second, and then I was fine again. This day was Easter Sunday, and my human brother and wife came to visit. Valerie - my human sister –in-law noticed I was not right and told my human mother, I was crying, shivering and shaking. I was taken away, put on a Snugglesafe heating pad, and kept on my own.  My dog mother came to see me on the very odd occasion.  Come Tuesday morning, my human mother discussed me with the vet. I only had the very odd twitchies, the shivering and crying – not again. He thought I was possibly hypoglycaemic and I should be fed more regularly.  I would periodically do the twitchies, however some days I was just very quiet and passed the time sleeping. My human mother now fed me Herbal puppy food with a syringe and I could drink my own water, but did my best to drown myself, so I was then given water by syringe as well. I was not stable on my feet.

On  Thursday I was 30 days old 135gms – I was put outside on the grass for a split second and my human mother noticed I would not use my hind legs. She proceeded to do a spot of physio. Now it possibly had something to do with that or possibly not, .but that night, early evening, would see me having a major fit, frothing at the mouth,  turning blue, and almost dying.

The following day 31days old  I was off to the specialists. The first one to see me, told my mother that I was extremely tiny, more than likely had major problems with my health, and she should consider putting me down - going to sleep forever. My human mother insisted on a diagnosis of my problems.

My human mother would not hear of me going to doggy heaven , and I was kept at the clinic till mid afternoon, where I was pricked and poked and pics taken of my anatomy and all. I was thoroughly examined and many tests carried out on me, by another specialist. My mother called the first specialist  DR DDD, death, doom and disaster.

Dr DDD called my mother at around lunch time and told her my prognosis was very poor  I was diagnosed with water on the brain. Too small to treat, too small to operate, she could nurse me, but my days were numbered, I had no future.  He wanted mother to come and make an appointment to discuss my future. Mother can be “otherwise” and said no point in meeting with Dr DDD, she would fetch me and pay the bill.

Mother felt I needed other treatment, natural treatment, contacted  the natural remedy Doctor who manufactures products available at your vet. I was put onto one of those. The twitchies subsided but I would cry out in pain.  My mother contacted a Specialist Veterinary Physician in Kyalami. who had treated a dog in her possession before. He asked my entire history, who had diagnosed me? how I was diagnosed etc?. then prescribed some homeopathic drugs for me. I get my medication four times daily, 30 minutes before my meals. Mother gets up at night to feed me and check on me. I sleep in a container in the bottom of the bedside table – next to mother. I make no sound.

I was given a tiny amount of cortisone  -  this was given to me when I had the crying attacks. Three times in all.  It worked, but my human mother knew it was impossible and totally unhealthy for me to be kept on that.

The day I started my new treatment, I was 31 days old and weighed 140gms.  To the best of mothers knowledge homeopathic and conventional drugs do not work properly together, so it did take a day or so for the cortisone to leave my system. However, I was vastly improved. No twitchies.  

33 days old found me crying the last time.  I was not handled that much as I was not too happy about that, I felt irritated. Mother also realised I had had blood taken from the vein in my neck and that was also more than likely adding to my discomfort.

34 days old, found mother on the phone once again to my Specialist, she had hope in her voice and I felt so much better. She wanted to know how I had got this, problem, hereditary, genetic? It could have been in utero, it could have been trauma at birth,  mother was there at the delivery with dog mother and nothing seemed to go wrong?? The specialist advises that it is not hereditary.. Mother remembered I would be due for inoculations shortly and could I handle this? I had been dewormed twice before I hit problems, and she had concerns about future deworming as well. A letter was faxed to the specialist – the reply NO inoculations.   Mother was slightly concerned about that. None of the other dogs with us had never not been inoculated and dog diseases are dangerous.

35 days old, Wow I weigh 155 gms, I now walk all over my toys, I am happy to be handled.  Mother heard from the specialist – if all goes well, and I continue like I am doing, I can have my injection at 8 weeks old. Mother is relieved. I hear mother also saying I am very well behaved, eat so well, not a minutes trouble. My bedding is changed twice daily and I manage to wee on the clean blanket, the minute it gets put into the bed, it could then be three or four times a day the blankets are changed??? . I hear mother telling someone on the phone, that I do my share, I am such a good baby.  Mother is most impressed I now spend some time awake rather than sleeping round the clock. I am kept in a plastic container with a lid, (for my own safety and protection)  it has a portion of the front with wire on it, for air circulation and that I can look out and see the world. I have learnt to come to the front, and look around. I am photographed religiously daily, sometimes more than a few times a day. I must be special or something. Mother is anxiously waiting for the day I show excitement at seeing her. I will surprise her one of these days.

36days old. Today finds me well, I am still not sure whether I should show any excitement at seeing mother. I spent a couple of minutes last night walking on the floor on a duvet and met a few of mothers other yorkies. A nice enough bunch. They were all keen to smell me. I plan to have a good day.

37days old (23-4-09)  I have reached another milestone. I play with my toys. I chew Mothers fingers. Still have not worked out how to wag my tail or lower my ears as a greeting. I guess I will get there. Chubby is an understatement, I am real cuddly.

38 days old. I am on anti-biotics which can work with the homeopathic meds. I sound noisy in the throat, not the chest. Rather safe than sorry, just in case it hits the chest. I licked mother today, she is still waiting for that wag of the tail and lowering of the ears. I am working on it. I see mother listens intently to my breathing. I gulp my food more than likely the reason I have the odd noise I make. Still this is a worry to mother. In general I am fat and flourishing.

39 and 40 days old. I am doing very much better. Play with my toys. I still sleep a lot but then I am still a baby. I visit the vet for another check up. He advises Mother that at the size I am – I can not afford to get the least infection or bug, as I would more than likely pop over. I have a sinus noise periodically and the vet thinks this is ultimately to do with my brain problem, he also says loads of the toy breeds have this problem and most lead a pretty normal life. He says I may very well outgrow this problem. 

41 days old. I have been eating on my own again for a few days now, I did start to eat at two and a half weeks, but when I started with the twitchies Mother reverted to feeding me with a syringe.  Last night was the first night mother did not wake me up around one or two o’clock and feed me. She left food with me for me to help myself – must think I am getting a big girl now, I weigh 200gms.   Mother woke up at 4:15 to check up on me, and I was supplied with some nice warmed up puppy food. Deeeeeeelicous.  This morning I was put outside on a towel for a few minutes to get some sun on me. Today is a public holiday, we all intend having a quiet day. Mother has decided I need to go and see the Specialist Physician as soon as he has an appointment available. She can then ask him all the questions she needs answered. He has not seen me as yet, but has treated me on the diagnosis made from the Specialist who is quite close to my home. Mother thinks he needs to meet this VIP – very important PUP, so he can actually see who he is treating and who Mother is so thankful to for coming to both our rescues.

42 days sees me at 6 weeks of age. I have got to a big milestone in my life. Most pups are rehomed and sold or the likes at this age.

43 days of age. I still have a rather stuffy nose. This is of major concern to mother. At one stage I breathed thru my mouth which was of even greater concern. My colour stayed good. So not too much of a train smash, although cause for concern.

44 day of age. Mother is on to the phone firstly to our own vet, they can not work out about my congested nose. So mother leaves a message for the first lot of specialists, the nice one to call her back, not Dr DDD.- his colleague who sonared my brain, and the rest of my anatomy. He calls and Mother explains my problem and firstly he is more than surprised to hear I am still alive, let alone doing so well. He comments that this is truly unbelievable news. The congested nose has nothing to do with my brain he advises. I have an appointment to see him in a few days time, his first appointment available. IF my nose is not too congested, then Mother will cancel that appointment as advised by him and see the specialist who has saved my life in Kyalami, two days later. Mother has tremendous faith in God above, and is truly grateful for the miracle of my life.

Today has seen me playing on the floor with Rhaene, Moms one granddaughter, for all her three and a half years of age, she is extremely careful with me and Mom insists she watches me and not let me out of her site. Mom is close by and peiodically tells Rhaene to be careful and gentle I am just a tiny baby.  My weight is now 248gms.  I am cuddly so they say. Cute and cuddly.

45 - 47 days old. I am doing very well. My noisy nose has subsided and I rarely suffer with it now. I am still fed four times a day. My last meal being 10 at night. I am left some food in case I feel peckish during the night.  I am really a fat little pudding. My appointment with the first specialist will be cancelled tomorrow. I will visit with the Specialist that is treating me homeopathically on Wednesday. I am a happy girl, and  am happy to be mobile and I can walk up and down, all over the show, although I am not allowed to do that unless under constant supervision. My vets wife says I am not a dog, but have to be an escaped flea.  Well whatever, I have broad puppy shoulders. It is a compliment “I THINK” ????

50 days old. 310gms.  The day has arrived when I will finally meet the dear Doctor who saved my life. My mother has prayed for me and believed I would be blessed by a miracle. Today we will hear my prognosis. We meet with the Specialist pretty early in the morning. We left home major early, it is not that the Specialist is that far away but the traffic is a nightmare. We are there on time. The Doc asks my mother loads of questions regarding me and eventually he gets to meet me. He is real coooooooool plays with me, hugs me, loves me, he attempts to listen to both my lungs and heart, but I do my best to bite his fingers ( two teeth cutting) and destroy his jersey. I growl at him, hoping to attract his attention, however he keeps on listening and asks me to stop or he will start laughing. He does a thorough examination and takes me out to play on the grass. It is slightly windy and I find the odd leaf blowing my way a challenge to catch.  I also bounce a couple of times which is another milestone, first time I have done that.  He talks and mother and him discuss me at great length. After a while we return to his consulting room. He advises mother that I am not really a severe Hydocephalus puppy, or I would be dead. I may have a minor case,  but the fontanel on my head is almost closed, something that would not close if I had a severe problem. I do not have any of the obvious physical signs of this problem either, I can see, these pups are blind, I have reasonable co-ordination, those pups don’t, those pups have apple heads, mine is perfectly normal. Those pups die even on medication. He advises that I should grow out of this, and my meds are halfed for the time being. The stuffy nose I had he diagnoses as me eating and the food not going down all the time and ending up going back up my nasal passage. I was gulping my food, and mother thought that was the problem.  Although when we could not get an appointment immediately with him, I almost went to another who was going to put me under. Shoooooooooooh lucky escape.

The specialist is very happy with me, Mother is ecstatic , he advises I should live a normal life, and my longevity will not be affected at all.  He advises the teacups live as long a life as any yorkie, if bred and handled correctly. Exactly what mother says.

His parting words to mother that made her day. “SHE IS AWESOME”.  I however, am only allowed my first vaccination at 10 weeks of age. He advises mother how it is to be administered and not as it is usually done. He also asks mother to keep me away from the vets consulting rooms as that is where I would pick up any infection that could harm me, by waiting longer to be inoculated. This has truly been a wonderful day. Mother is waiting for the day I greet her, ears down and tail wagging, the Doc says this is because I am immature and in time I will do this for Mom.

9 weeks old. Time has flown by, I have got bigger and become more obnoxious than Mom thought possible, I am really considering if I am a tiger, a lion or just simply a bombastic tiny yorkie.  I do not take nonsence, and stand my ground. Dogs 100 times my size must just be aware, that I am no push over.  Mom is thrilled to bits with me. I have had no ill effects of anything, I am just a happy, playful, loving baby.   Mom weighed me a while back and I weighed 350gms,  since then she weighed me again, and in a week I have only picked up 10gms. This is on track for me to be a tiny yorkie as an adult. The initial weight gain was as a result of my having the problem,  that almost cost me my life, as having been diagnosed incorrectly to the degree of the problem I have. Life is great and  we are only delighted to be living life to the full.

September saw me back with my Specialist Physician Dr Garry Eckersley, he says I have come a long way. He is totally delighted with me. Mother has taken my parents to be checked out – as she does not want to have this problem with any future babies. They are given the all clear.  My Doctor thinks I am the cutest baby ever, and I have attitude.

November 2009 sees me very happy and on track. I come the moment I am called, I am highly intelligent and know first thing in the morning, I am put into a carrier with Cuddles (under 1kg) and Charm(602gms) both very tiny yorkies to ensure I get my quota of Royal Canin Yorkie food. I play I carry my toys around. I love water, and rain storms and sprinkler systems are the best. Mother is totally over the moon with me, I am a healthy, happy tiny little girl, NO one could ask for anymore, least of all me.

PIXIEDOLL   with Yorkie love.

  Because of the problems Pixiedoll had, we would never consider selling her, so many folk who have visited our home, have asked to buy her and remarked on her as the most delightlful, cutest, bubbly pup ever, No amount of money would  make us part with her. When you work with a baby like I did with Pixiedoll from a very young age, you develop a tremendous bond, with that pup.  We are thrilled to have her, and she is a total delight.

Picture 1 - Pixiedoll a day short of 5 weeks of age.

Picture 2. - Pixiedoll today November 2009 - just out of the garden in the water AGAIN - what else. Life is for living and enjoying - go for it PIXIEDOLL we love you.