Miter is from my
“Insects” litter. He was born a VERY tiny little guy (only 3.5
oz…normal for a Boston is usually twice that). Some people
called him a “runt”, but being a "runt" doesn't even come close
to describing him. I knew as soon as he was born that something
was wrong and to my utter dismay, it was determined that it was
fluid on the brain (hydrocephalus). According to an ultrasound,
his brain was compressed to roughly 25% of the size it should
have been by the fluid that occupied the other 75% of the cavity
in the skull. He was sickly due to a compromised immune system
and didn't see well due to the pressure on his optic nerves as
well. We later found out that he was also unilaterally deaf.
As you can seen from some of his “puppy” pictures, he was
extremely tiny with a head that was disproportionately large, so
he couldn't walk well because he head kept making him tip over.
Not only was his balance poor, but his depth perception was
inhibited due to the fluid and he would walk into things all the
time, which caused damage to his eyes.
In addition to this, he scratched his cornea at just a few weeks
of age and at the same time came down with an upper respiratory
infection. Add that to the fact that his siblings drank all the
milk before he could latch on, left him with very little chance
of survival. He was weaned onto mush so that he could get the
nutrition he needed to grow, but his throat was so tiny, he
couldn’t get anything solid. He was nearly 2 months old before
he was able to eat real kibble.
During part of this time, I was on my honeymoon and had it not
been for Valerie Korff of SV Boston Terriers, who took care of
Miter and his littermates, for several weeks during part of his
most crucial time, I doubt Miter would have made it. Her care
and attention to every detail made it possible for her to catch
every infection and injury immediately, so that vet care could
be promptly administered.
He had less than a 5% chance of survival, and not only did he
beat those odds, but he's thrived and is truly Mr. Personality.
It took a lot of time, energy and dedication to help bring him
through, as well as tons of prayers from a wonderful Boston
community called the
Woofboard, but he's a miracle boy no matter how you look at
it. He is now a whopping 11.8 lbs of pure orneriness, silliness,
and spoiledness. Just as it should be!
Miter is also fearless and you can see in
this
video.
Miter may not be a star in the show ring, but
he's a star at home and everywhere he goes!
Miter is from my
