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Natural Relief for Diarrhea and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

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Bringing Home A New Puppy: Stevie’s Story

Inspiring Pet Tails 5 min read
Stevie the black pug asleep on a yellow blanket next to a dog toy

Everyone loves a good story about bringing home a new puppy, so here’s mine! Instead of having baby fever like most other couples in my life, in 2019 and 2020 my partner and I had major puppy fever. I had lost my beloved Shih Tzu, Zoe, back in the summer of 2018, and since then, my partner’s pug Jackson has filled that spot in my heart reserved for the love of a dog. 

I had never spent time with a pug before I started dating my partner, but I quickly fell in love with Jackson’s quirks, big personality, and constantly food-driven nature. After my partner and I had been together for some time, we decided the next step would be to bring a new furbaby into our family. A loveable, goofball pug just seemed like the ideal addition to our family. 

Stevie at 8 weeks old sitting in her bed with a toy

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of getting to know a pug knows that their squishy little faces and round little bodies will worm their way into your heart. They have big personalities and have such a strong desire to always be nearby their humans. They are little pranksters that use their intelligence to get into trouble, but at the end of the day, they are always happy to show how much they love and appreciate you in their own way. 

Bringing Home Stevie

After months of searching during the great adoptable dog shortage of 2020, we finally found a beautiful little pug with a bit of Boston terrier. We brought her home in November of 2020 and our little Stevie became an inseparable member of our family. 

puppy supplies for bringing home a new puppy

Just like anyone who gets a puppy, my partner and I prepared our home, by puppy proofing and getting all the supplies we needed. We did our best to get Jackson prepared by giving him extra love, more socialization time with other dogs, and showing him all of the tiny dog accessories that one day would be worn by a little sister. We were filled with excitement and that pre-puppy glow. 

Of course, when a new puppy comes home, that’s when all the excitement becomes reality and you realize just how much work a puppy is. From day one, our little Stevie girl has been keeping us on our toes. From screaming (and yes, I mean literally screaming), to escape attempts, to trying to eat everything in sight, Stevie has reminded us that raising a puppy requires a lot of patience but is so worth it for all the love and cuteness. 

Stevie and Jackson cuddling - bringing home a new puppy

At first, Jackson was not thrilled about the new addition to our family, but over the past two months, he has grown to love her. Jackson kept his distance from Stevie initially and would walk away anytime she tried to play or snuggle. She found her way into his heart by snuggling up to him when he was already asleep and by getting lots of praise and treats anytime he came near her. We have also done our best to make sure he enjoys all of his ‘senior pug privileges’ like sleeping up on the bed from time to time, going on solo walks, going to work with dad, and getting lots of cuddles and lap time. 

Supporting Stevie Through Diarrhea

Stevie is a healthy, happy pug, but just like many puppies, she has faced a few issues so far. Since the day she came home, Stevie has always had stools on the soft side and from time to time they go from soft to runny. Diarrhea is common in many puppies as their guts are very sensitive and they are prone to try and eat many things they shouldn’t like leaves, trash, toys, and even rocks. 

To help Stevie with her diarrhea, we started adding 1 tsp of pure, canned pumpkin to all of her meals and 0.5mL of NHV Plantaeris to her breakfast and dinner. We noticed that this combination helped firm up Stevie’s stools pretty quickly and now we help maintain her digestive health by maintaining this regimen. There are many things that can cause diarrhea in puppies and adult dogs, so we keep a close eye on her stools and contact her vet when diarrhea lasts longer than two days. 

Common Health Conditions in Pugs

Just like every dog breed, bringing a pug into your family comes with its own set of risks and possible health issues. I found it helpful to educate myself on health issues that are common in pugs before bringing another one into our family to feel prepared and find some peace of mind.

With our two pugs, my partner and I have encountered only a few. The issue we have to deal with the most frequently is ear infections. Since he was a puppy, Jackson has regularly dealt with ear infections despite his frequent ear cleanings. After years of struggling with the issue, it wasn’t until we brought Stevie home that we figured out why it kept happening. Jackson would steal some of his sister’s food and be receiving more treats than usual, both of which contained chicken. We noticed that after he would get into his sister’s food, his ears would be itchier. It was a chicken allergy all this time and since we have removed all chicken from his diet (including treats), his ears have seemed much better. 

Allergies are very common in dogs in general, but pugs are a breed that allergies are especially common. To help deal with Jackson’s regular ear infections caused by food allergies, we have adjusted both his and Stevie’s diets to be chicken-free and we clean their ears and face folds every other day. We keep our trusty NHV Echo Gold on hand for regular ear cleanings and ear infections.

Stevie with an inflamed eye sitting next to Jackson - bringing home a new puppy

Both Jackson and Stevie have those big bug pug eyes that sparkle and make your heart flutter, but with big eyes comes a bigger risk of eye injuries and infections. Especially with these two playing and getting into mischief together, from time to time they bump them or get something in their eyes that causes some irritation. When their eyes look a bit red or inflamed, I use NHV Ey-Eas directly in their eyes or add it into their food for a couple of days or until it looks cleared up. 

Jackson is 10 years old now, so he was already taking Turmeric and Tripsy for preventative care but since bringing home Stevie, we added Old Timer to his regimen for extra mobility support. He now has a little whippersnapper he has to contend with! 

Stevie wearing a bandana with her name on it

We are a happy and healthy family, but just like any parent of a puppy, there are moments that test our patience but also moments of pure bliss. We are so grateful to have added this furry bundle of joy to our family and look forward to the many more moments and memories we will have together. 

If you are bringing a new puppy or pug into your family, just remember to stay calm, be prepared, and treasure every moment!

Liv J.

Liv J.

Liv is the proud dog mom to two beautiful Pugs. She loves all animals and is passionate about helping them live happy and healthy lives. After losing her Shih Tzu, Zoe to cancer, Liv decided to learn more about being the best dog mom she could be. She wants to share what she has learned with other pet parents to help them spend as much time with their furbabies as possible.

Published: January 23, 2021

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