There is cute, cuter, and then there is downright adorable.  That is how we describe sweet Hank.  This precious puppy has been to Hell and back and is still smiling and making us laugh.  He has to gain enough weight to be within a normal range before having his PRAA surgery.   He lost weight during his liver surgery, so we are back at square one, fattening him up.

I found a good diagram of a PRAA in a dog. It clearly shows the vascular ring anomaly that is constricting food in the esophagus.  Hank has to be fed a slurry of food in an upright position and remains in that position  20-30 minutes after eating.  The photos show the transition of excitement to eat to boredom and then fall asleep in the Baily Chair.   

The process and food are working because Hank has gained three pounds over the past week, and we have not had any regurgitation.  He will be having his surgery as soon as he is strong enough, and his surgeon feels his chances of surviving the procedure are in his favor. In the meantime, the staff sets aside 30 minutes for his feedings three times a day. Hank was very antsy when we started doing this, but now he eats and takes a nap.  

We are hopeful he will be able to have his surgery in about four weeks.  Once Hank's food settles, he can run around in his big run and go for walks.  We have had a lot of puppies in our care that have been critical.  We hate it when they can't run around and wrestle with other pups.  Hopefully, Hank will be on the other side of his medical issues, and he can go out and play non-stop.

Thanks for helping us with this beautiful puppy. Hank is one of the sweetest dogs that everyone adores.