Markl

Update 11/21/07: I discussed the situation with Markl's veterinarian. He said that Markl will probably outgrow this by the time he is one year old. He also advised that we not have him neutered until he has outgrown it, as the stress of neuter surgery could send him into a downward spiral. With much reluctance, we have canceled Markl's neuter surgery, and will be removing his Petfinder page shortly. He will be re-evaluated on his first birthday.

Update 11/19/07: Markl had a very close call tonight. I went to let him out one last time for the night, and he was laying down. He tried to sit up, but kept tipping over. His tail wagged, and he was looking right at me, but he just couldn't get up. I immediately got some honey in his mouth, offered him some water, and got him to take some food from my hand. He is doing better right now, but he could have been in trouble had this happened an hour later than it did. For this reason, we have decided that Markl is not suitable for adoption right now. The veterinarian had warned us that this may be a recurring issue, and that he will likely grow out of it. For now, Markl will be staying here with his foster family. I will call the veterinarian in the morning to see at what age he is likely to outgrow this problem, and his availability will be re-evaluated at that point. My sincere apologies for any heartbreak this causes to the families that had hoped to adopt him. Please keep Markl in your thoughts and prayers.

Update 11/5/07: Markl (and Ariana) came home today! They spent a total of seven days (Tuesday through Monday) at the veterinary clinic. I'm happy to announce that Markl is doing much better. He is eating hard puppy food, he's up and walking, and his eyes are straightening out. He's still not quite the way he used to be, and he may never be, but we're hoping some home time, and lots of love will make him a little stronger every day. He's not able to go up and down the stone steps anymore, and he seems to be a little less wiggly than normal. We're assuming that his balance is still a little off after his seizures, and since he's been making very fast progress, hopefully he will be up to par in another week! Included are new photos, taken as soon as we got home today!

Update #2 - 11/1/07: I just got home from visiting the puppies at the veterinary clinic. Ariana is doing excellent! Markl is not as well as I had thought. He is still like a ragdoll, unable to stand, sit, or even hold his own head up. One eye looks off in another direction, but he is awake. He is now off of the anti-seizure meds, and has been seizure free all day. He has been eating by syringe (soft food and water mixed), and is swallowing on his own. We're hoping that he continues to progress. Once he can stand, walk, and eat/drink on his own, he can come back home. I am including new photos - please be aware that these were taken at the veterinary clinic, and have not been edited. He isn't looking his best, but he is getting slowly better.

Update 11/1/07: I have wonderful news today! Markl has woken up from his coma. He wakes up when messed with, and appears to be aware of his surroundings. They've removed his feeding tube. This morning he drank some water out of a dish (this is real progress). The veterinarian said that Ariana is trying to play with him, but he's just not up to it yet. He's still not out of the woods, but if he continues to get stronger and eat and drink on his own, he may be able to come home next week! We still need donations to help with the veterinary bill, which continues to grow the longer he stays (and he will be staying with the veterinary clinic as long as it takes). Please consider donating. Even small amounts help!

Update 10/31/07: The good news is that Markl kept his temperature up overnight, and it sounds like he's pretty stable right now. The bad news is that he is currently in a coma. The veterinarian said there was probably some degree of brain damage due to the extreme low blood sugar, but the extent of that damage is not immediately clear. In the meantime, he is being tube fed, and cared for at the veterinary clinic. The veterinarian said he is remaining optimistic, so we are going to continue to give him the best available care. Ariana is back to normal, but we have asked that she stay with her brother.

URGENT UPDATE 10/30/07: This morning Markl was found laying in the back of the kennel, barely responsive (he wagged his tail). He did not respond to a warm rinse, or honey under his tongue, so he was rushed to the veterinary clinic, 45 miles away. I stayed with him as they gave him a jugular IV, IV fluids, vikadin, and tried to get enough blood from him to test his blood glucose (he had such low blood pressure that even clipping his toenails to the quick produced not even a drop of blood).

In the middle of all this, I got a call that Ariana (back at home) was acting the same. She too was rushed right in. Both puppies are currently in "supportive care" at the veterinary clinic, and will remain there until we can figure out what's wrong and get them stabilized. We need donations to help pay for these emergency expenses. Please donate! Updates will be posted as we receive more information.

UPDATE 10/27/2007: Markl is officially done with puppy vaccinations! His neuter has been scheduled for December 20th (at our veterinarian's request to get it done before the holidays). We do have a concern with Markl right now. He has had two episodes in the last month that lead us to believe he may be having very small (petite-mal) seizures. We discussed this with the veterinarian, and she said he may grow out of it, and even if he doesn't, most dogs with petite-mal seizures do not require medication, as it does not drastically interfere with their life. We will be keeping an eye on him. Also, Markl has an umbilical hernia. This will be corrected when he is already under anesthesia for his neuter.

Meet-and-Greet dates announced! 11/3 and 11/17 we will be bringing Markl (and Ariana and Pippi) to Pet North (208 W Washington St., Brainerd, MN 56401) to meet anyone interested in seeing them in person. We will be there both days from noon until 2pm! If you have other pets, we encourage you to bring them to see how they get along. All dogs must be on leashes (store rules). See you there!

Markl (rhymes with sparkle) was born 7/24/07. He is a cross between chihuahua and toy poodle. His mom (who is also up for adoption - see Pippi) is 4 pounds, so he should be a very tiny dog when he's full grown. Markl is not currently available for adoption, but we are posting his information here in hopes of getting some interest set up for when he is available to go to a new home. He will be ready to leave in December/January, when he is six months old (so he can be neutered before he leaves).

Markl's adoption fee will cover his veterinary expenses (vaccinations, microchip, neuter, etc). Due to his recent hospitalization (hypoglycemia) Markl's adoption fee has been set at $300. We do cut off all adoption fees at $300, regardless of additional expenses. We do include veterinary invoices. Please email for an application! We only adopt to homes within the state of Minnesota.