Tiny Miracle puppy

This is our little miracle puppy we affectionately call "Peanut"
She was born April 17th with 5 litter mates, one sister and 4 brothers.
At about 2 weeks her and her sister stopped gaining weight so we stepped in
and started feeding them. They both were doing better but not
good enough so by 3 weeks they were taken away from mommy all together
and bottle fed. They were weak but making steady
gains until at 4 weeks they got an upper respiratory infection

Her sister didn't make it, and we almost lost her too. 

We rushed her to the vet and he put her on antibiotics 

but given her small size and her lack of weight gain he was not

hopeful that she would make it through the night let alone 

to the end of the antibiotics. She only weighed 9.5 oz 

while her litter mates were all over a pound, She was literally 

half their size. She fit in John's shirt pocket.

So we took her home and the boys prayed that night that she
would make it through the night. She did, she was weak but she picked her little tiny head up and
looked at me.
She was still not gaining any weight, She was hovering around 10 oz. and she developed pockets of
fluid on her tummy and under her neck. 

It was Memorial Day weekend and we had the grandparents visiting.
Peanut was finishing up her antibiotics, She was alert and walking around a little bit more.
We were able to get her to eat from the bottle again, I had also introduced her to a yummy
vitamin gel which she was able to lick off my finger. She had bright eyes and though weak she was
walking around her bed. She was still not gaining any weight, but she was not loosing any either. Sunday
afternoon some friends of my parents joined us for dinner and they fell right in love with "Peanut"
Both of them having been nurses in their younger days caught on right away that if
Peanut could lick the vitamins off my finger then maybe she could lick some puppy chow too.
So i mashed up a few bits and mixed it with her formula and her vitamins. I held my breath and stuck it under
her little nose. She sniffed it for a minute then began licking it up.
She got right to it and licked up every bit of it off my finger and off the spoon.
So it was time for solid foods. We were
so excited and we just knew she was going to be fine. She within hours perked right up
She was walking around the table sniffing everyone's fingers for more treats.
My dear friends left feeling very hopeful and returned the next day with more
vitamins and a lovely note.

We weighed her the next day and she had only gained a tiny
bit, but we were hopeful. She developed some pockets of fluid
under her chin and in her groin though that worried me.  At the end of the
antibiotics treatment I made a follow up apt. with my vet.
She could not explain why she had fluid and she said that she was
too small to get enough blood to run tests. She said that her heart and lungs
sounded good though so the med.s had worked for the infection
She just sort of dismissed her and said she probably won't live much longer
and to just keep feeding her and taking care of her until she dies. I didn't know if I
wanted to slap her or hug her. I have been breeding dogs for a while now and I know that this is
part of life, it is not the first time I have had to deal with puppy death. But this time It was
harder to hear to be honest. Was I going soft? Was I getting my hopes up? I can't explain it but I was more determined to see her live when I left that office.
So we took her home.
The boys said more prayers for her.
She was only 10.5 oz.

She was 6 weeks old, the next appt. was the big one with all the puppies for  shots and a final check up
before they go to new homes at 8 weeks. She has made slow and steady gains every day. She began to perk up more. She would  respond to my voice when I came to her box to check on her. She would eat slowly and not much when she did eat and she sleeps alot.  She has made gains everyday though.
At her 8 week apt. last week she had gained 1.5 oz.
We saw a different Vet in the office, there are several vets in our office, but they had all heard
about Peanut. She was surprised to see her alive. So she did a thorough exam. Her heart and lungs were strong. She was alert, and playful, she was pink and playful with one little tooth trying to cut through.  Except for her very tiny size she looks like a perfect healthy puppy. The Vet
said it was rare but she has heard of dwarfism in animals, she is doing research on it for us as we speak.
The Vets can't understand why she is so tiny and still alive.
She is 9 weeks old today, She weighs 16 oz. today
She is teething, and she chews on fingers as much as she can.
She wags her little tail when she sees us, she climbs all over her bedding. She licks our faces and ears.
I am amazed and even more hopeful that our little miracle puppy will live on.
I don't know for how long but as long as she wants
to live We are going to care for her and love her. She is now big enough to get her vaccines. so that is next.
We keep praying for little Miracle and hope for the best.