The Pet Life: Meet Boris

Hello Darlin’,

Everyone has been asking for more details about my furry babies. So, let me introduce you to them. We’ll go backwards, beginning with the newest addition to the family, Boris “Willy” Taz, AKA Boogie. He’s a blue brindle English Bulldog.

It was the end of summer 2018 when we found out one of SM friends from this amazing event called Bulldog Day, was expecting puppies!

-side note: I am so sad we won’t make it to Bulldog Day this year because of a work conflict. For those of you who have squish face dogs or love the breed, this is well worth the trip and the entry fee. Our boy Otis has so much fun every year and it’s a ball seeing so many of these stout, chubby, snorting, bundles of joy all in one place. Did I mention they also have a race? Definitely worth seeing!-

We were able to follow along with Boris from the day he was born. This little nugget stole our hearts. Being able to hold your three week old puppy is a beautiful experience. He was still getting his bearings to walk, and boy was he chunky!

His current obstacle is going down our large stairway leading to the second floor. He’s a champ with the outside steps, but these are longer and much more intimidating to the little man.

Boris will be three months in two weeks, so he’s got some time to grow into the idea of going down the very same stairs he just walked up. He’s become the smallest of his litter mates by a few pounds but you wouldn’t think that for the amount of food he goes through in a day. We consulted his vet (who happens to be the same one who delivered him…score) and what we’ve confirmed is that Boris is taking after his father who has a very high metabolism and naturally more muscle than fat.

Puppy farts - we’re heavy into that phase right now. He gets into his deep REM sleeps and that’s when they really start to let loose. They say bulldogs have smelly farts, but I’m thinking it’s when they’re puppies that they take the cake on that one.

Like most puppies, he’s a fast eater, despite the fact no one is rushing him. It’s a wonderful solo game of Hungry Hungry Hippo-bulldog style. We’ve been incredibly grateful that his overall health and physical form have been good. So many bulldogs face numerous health issues including breathing issues. This is why we have pet insurance for all of our fur babies. You never know what will happen, especially as they get older.

We had a moment of fear with him three weeks ago when he threw up and continued having issues with vomiting and regurgitation within a six hour span. I was able to get him to his vet the same day (a Saturday of all days), who is located an hour and a half from our home. We only had to make one stop for him to throw up again but my nerves were wrecked. We got him there, and he was clearly not feeling well. Where usually he would be full of energy, he was sleepy. Where he would be wanting to explore, he didn’t want to leave my arms.

We found out that he basically has a sensitive esophagus. When he begins to throw up, it continues a chain reaction to continue the momentum versus settling back down. Thankfully, the x-ray showed that he hadn’t ingested anything dangerous (because he loves putting everything in his mouth) or inhaled anything while he was vomiting. When he would regurgitate, he wouldn’t open his mouth because there wasn’t a heavy force to push out of the body like when you vomit and I was so afraid he was inhaling it into his lungs each time because he would try to lock his jaw shut and hold it in. He was notably afraid, and confused and didn’t understand that he had to let it out of his mouth. Having to help him open his mouth and get everything out fried my nerves to the core. Each time I was so worried —yeah, I’m one of those pawrents.

The vet gave him the “miracle” shot to stop the vomiting and regurgitation, which worked within thirty minutes, and sent us home with a weeks worth supply of pills to help keep his stomach settled. In addition, he threw in some very yummy, and very bland, prescription food that’s intended for sensitive GI’s. It all worked wonders.

Have you ever tried to feed a pill that was about half the size of a dime (if that) to a miniature hippo? It’s a challenge when you can’t wrap it in cheese, either. But after day three of doing it 3x a day, he began to get the hang of it…now, he’s back to himself, off the pills and back to his puppy food.

Last week I spent a lot of time in our retail stores and as a youngin’, Boris was tagging along side me through it all. He explored every inch of the stores and made the best of friends. Whenever we travel, we take a baby-go bag, with puppy supplies - pads, baby wipes, paper towels, disinfectant, disposable bags, toys, snacks, lunches, travel bowls, leash, harness, extra toys, extra pads, extra baby wipes. It’s really great to have when you’re expecting an all day excursion with them. By the fifth day he found a routine, despite being in a new location, he felt comfortable enough to settle down behind the counter with the staff and nap. It was very much welcomed and the good behavior was praised. He got a new toy, and new treats from Wolf Gang Bakery.

He’s been an amazing addition to our family. He’s super sweet, playful and caring. He’s also loving all the snow we’ve been getting!

To keep up with Boris, Otis, Casper & me - follow my Insta or Twitter too @

Until next time,

M.E.