This is major bed-head.

I have been awake since 4:30am.

I would like to praise myself for training myself into being a morning person, but this is a process which has taken a lot of time, many years, much grit and more determination than…someone who is very determined. I can’t think of anyone who was more determined than me right now. I am way too tired to think of a correct simile for this one.

Nevertheless, after Thanksgiving break I had grandiose plans to get this week started on the right foot, with a good night’s sleep and a good agenda for the morning…which are each slowly fading into my cup of coffees.

Any notion that I had regarding “positive productivity” or “cheerful behavior” seem like fanciful dreams this morning.

You see, I have on my hands a Pomeranian puppy.

Not only do I have on my hands a Pomeranian puppy though. I have a Pomeranian puppy who broke both of his front legs last week.

Saayyy  Whhhaaaaaattttt….hold on, I’ll get to it.

So, I have a very cheerful, adventurous, excited Pomeranian puppy who LOVES LIFE WITH ALL OF ITS TINY LITTLE BEING…whose front two legs are in splints. This Pomeranian puppy is healing exceptionally well, and by all things considered is doing very well considering he believes we are playing a sick joke on him by binding his feet (since his tiny little memory has forgotten already that he has little teeny broken bones in there).

He is eating very well, which is a fantastic sign: even though he insists I must only feed him those small pieces of turkey in which I hide the 1/4 tablet of pain medicine, and fails to recognize his normal puppy kibble as a viable food source. (so, that isn’t happening and he has come to realize that Mom is way beyond the sympathetic-babying stage in her life, and he is enjoying his kibble…and not being hungry)

The little man is drinking water like a camel, which is also a good sign. He is on schedule for his nap times and bed times. He is happy during the day, now that he has accepted his new life as a robot, and all in all things are going well for someone who just broke both of his two front legs…OMG.

However, this puppy is also not able to get some of his puppy energy out. At all. So, some nights are better than others.

Tonight, for example, was not one of those better than other nights.

Little man and I have had plenty of bonding time this morning since he was far more awake than all of Asia at this hour.

So, what happened????? I have never had a serious pet injury before, so this is really taking the cake.  And I wish I could tell you something catastrophic happened, or a meteorite landed on his legs, or he fought a dragon to defend our house and this was the price he paid for his steadfast loyalty…

I have never had a serious pet injury before…because I have never had a 4lbs dog before.

A well bred 4lbs dog from a reputable breeder who has not gone the way of inbreeding has the advantage of having a good heart, good lungs, good organs, no glaucoma, no hip or joint problems…

but a 4lbs dog has bones the size of toothpicks. Because he’s small, and his bones are small.

So, for instance, if someone dropped him on a basket, and he jumped off the basket…that fall/jump would be all that is necessary for a 4lbs dog to break the radius/ulna and ulna bones in his front two legs.

Yes. Really.

I just could not believe this was happening, as I carried my broken, screaming, terrified mess of a puppy to the pet ER with similarly terrified children in tow.  No one had been playing rough, there was no chaotic moment involved, everyone was having a good time…until our home was filled with the thunderous, ear-splitting screaming of our beloved puppy after he landed on our extremely soft and plush carpet.

How do you break a dog??  How do you break a dog that jumped 2 feet down???!

Well, it turns out that’s pretty par the course for toy puppies. I spent all night, cradling my wounded and wailing puppy in one hand, and typing into Google “Pomeranian puppy leg breaks” with the other.

Pomeranian puppies have insanely small and thin bones for the first year. The vet said, for context, that they are bird bones: thin and porous. After a year, their bones will be much thicker and it seems these minor falls don’t have such a major impact. However, until then it is best to keep their unbounded excitement on the ground and not in mid-flight off a couch, or off your lap, or off the stairs, or off your other dog, or off the bed, or off a basket.

The nice thing is, since my Pom is only 4 months old he will heal very quickly. We are looking at probably 4 weeks, maybe 5 tops, until his legs are fully healed. I heard between 2-4 weeks in a few places, but I also think rushing bone healing is a dumb idea that will just lead to more breaks and injuries in the future; so, best wait a little longer.

We have another X-ray appointment for Little Man in two weeks, and we’ll see how things are going.

At home, he is relegated to sleeping, sitting and hobbling. I have also lowered myself as a person and bought a legit dog-purse so I can still take him for walks; just with my legs doing the legwork for him. The kids are being exceptionally gentle with him, as is to be expected, and my cat believes this was all the karma she wished upon her tiny canine overlord. To her credit, though, she is leaving him alone. For the most part. At least as much as a conniving cat can leave her prey alone while he is weak and recovering.

I fear much jousting will be done once Little Man has his legs back.

Until then, I sit, quite awake in the black of the morning, in my favorite black leather reading chair, drinking my favorite black coffee under one of my favorite blankets, letting Little Man sleep contentedly at my feet.

On the floor. Where he is going to stay for the rest of his days.