Teddy Bear Puppy

My teddy bear puppy,

you've fought so hard,

through sickness,

through injury,

through every unfair card.

You should have been chasing tennis balls,

a Berner lounging by the fence,

stealing socks, leaving muddy pawprints,

living life without suspense.

Instead I watched you tremble,

lying down was too much pain,

your giant frame still standing

as your strength began to wane.

Night after night I stayed beside you,

counting every shaky breath,

wondering if the morning sunlight

might arrive with news of your death.

Blood stained the floors beneath you.

Medicine lined the wall.

The surgeries kept coming,

each one harder than them all.

You stopped eating.

Stopped playing.

Stopped greeting me at the door.

The puppy I had known and loved

seemed to fade a little more.

But still you fought.

When infection stole your strength,

when your body begged for rest,

when every step became a battle,

you kept trying your very best.

You never understood the needles,

the tubes, the endless tests.

You only knew that everything hurt

and sleep would bring no rest.

Every day I sat beside you,

fearing I would lose you then—

my gentle giant shaking

like a leaf caught in the wind.

We never saw it coming,

never dreamed what lay ahead,

a simple surgery becoming

a brutal fight for life instead.

Another surgery awaits you

as you lay sedated at my side,

and I can't help but wonder,

if this is our goodbye.

We've been through so much

in your first year along,

and though the road before us bends,

together we'll press on.

And as I watch your eyelids flutter,

one truth remains the same:

the bravest soul I've ever known

wears a gentle furry frame.

---

Our Bernese Mountain puppy spent the past few days fighting for his life after a routine neutering procedure became severely infected.

He spent the first week after surgery happy as could be, considering the circumstances. He was energetic, seemingly healthy. But then he took a sudden turn for the worse. In the middle of the night, he became inconsolable, unable to sit or lie down. And then there was the blood.

Everything happened so quickly. At first, we thought he would be fine. Then the veterinarian returned with news of tissue necrosis and the need for immediate surgery.

But it was not successful, and he grew even worse.

We were given medications to ease his suffering and help keep him calm, but they were never enough to fully relieve what he was going through. Watching such a large, gentle puppy become so fragile was heartbreaking.

Eventually, we were referred to an incredible veterinary hospital. It was farther away and more expensive than our local options, but when a member of your family is fighting for their life, no distance is too far and no cost is too great.

The doctors, nurses, and staff there went above and beyond for him. Through around-the-clock care, they gave our puppy a chance when things looked hopeless.

Today, our journey is not over.

Just when we thought he was beginning to recover, he took another turn for the worse and is once again facing surgery. We still don't know what the coming days will bring, and that uncertainty is frightening, but we continue to take things one day at a time, one procedure at a time, and one hopeful step at a time.

No matter what happens next, we remain deeply grateful to the veterinary teams who have cared for him and worked tirelessly to give him every chance possible.

For now, all we can do is stand beside him, love him, and keep fighting alongside him.

---

UPDATE: Our teddy bear puppy survived his surgery! He is now recovering happily at home. We are so happy we get to see him slowly returning to his goofy, loveable self! He still has a long road to full recovery and potentially more surgeries in the future; but hopefully none as serious as this! We owe so much to the vets who saved our pups life!