Pio was born in Peyton Colorado.  We found out just before moving to Washington that we had a bacteria called campylobacter in our well water.  We had lost 6 of 8 Sheltie puppies and 2 of 7 Klee Kai puppies.  Savi lay sick and dying on my lap.  I had visited our local country vet during the day time.  He had treated him for Parvo.  I was certain that was not right, so I took Savi in to the emergency vet in Colorado Springs.   I was asked what I thought was wrong and I told them I thought there was something in the water.  The vet there was astute enough that he was able to detect that he was infected with this bacteria which was killing him.  He was so sick that this emergency vet carried him with him for the next 24 hours.  Everyone knows that emergency vets make you pick up the dog the next day, but Savi was too sick.  This vet didn't expect him to live.  I left bawling especially since I didn't even have a name for this little boy yet.  I had already lost 8 souls which were nameless, I couldn't lose this one too.  I think that the vet could sense how very special this little dog was to me.  Please visit my "tribute to Savi" as well.  We saved him and treated our well water.  Unfortunately, this bacteria was very difficult to get rid of.  But, we managed to heal animals and people, I thought, then moved out here to Washington state.  When we first moved into our home on Brown Rd. we had not had the water tested yet.  Who would figure that there would be bacteria in it as well.  The dogs and people had been drinking the well water which turned out to have e-coli in it.  So, more bacteria to be treated.  After all of this, people and animals alike developed a staph infection that was very difficult to get rid of.  In fact when we had our old car hauled off, it was covered inside with the white fuzz of staph. It took the better part of a year to get better.  We thought all was well until one night when I returned from a 4-H meeting to find Pio acting strangely.  It was about 11PM Sunday night of course, then I also noticed that he didn't smell good and he was very cold.  I figured he must be bleeding internally, but had no ideal what had happened for sure.  I rushed him to the emergency vet who told me he had a ruptured bladder and peritonitis.  They said they could do surgery,  but he wasn't apt to live through the surgery.  I should mention that before the meeting he hadn't been acting right and had not moved his bowels.  So, I gave him some worming medicine.  I figured that acts like a laxative so all would be well when we came home.  Well, his bowels did move but in the process, I guess the pressure ruptured the bladder.   Then they said it would be a miracle if he lived through the night and if he did, it would be another miracle if he lived more than a couple of days.  Well, I had the surgery done anyway.  I went home to cry and pray all night after the surgery had been completed.  I spent the next week taking him back and forth to my vets office.  He would not eat for them, so during the day I would take him home and feed him by hand.  Then take him back at night for his IV meds and nutrients, then pick him up the next morning and do it all over again.  All the while being told that it would be a miracle if he lived.  After a week, I was able to keep him at home on meds and special food.  They were still telling me it would be a miracle if he lived more than a month.  By this time, I was sure that my boy was going to survive.  Then they told me that he would have to eat special food for the rest of his life.  I think I left him on the special food for about a year.  After doing a lot of studying and the fact that this had happened for reasons other than genetic, I took him off the special diet and let him return to eating the food he had thrived on before, which happened to be at that time, Pro Plan.  

I had been worried that what had happened could have been of a genetic nature but the vets assured me that the crystals had formed in his bladder as a result of his e-coli and staph infection.  So, I treated the rest of my animals not only for the infection, but also with high doses of vitamin C to dissolve any crystals that would have been left.  I also bought a UV filter for the water.  No more bacteria in my water, ever again!!!!

The rest of my males did fine after that point and Pio is now, nearly 12 years old and still siring litters of puppies.

He's my very special miracle.

Here is a photo of him shortly after he came home.  You can see that his belly and 'other things' had been shaved.