Hit the Road Jack has taken on a whole new meaning for me. Almost immediately after posting the last blog (and it being about Puppy Poo), Jack got sick with a bug or something and I was given ample opportunity to practice what I preached. At least I'd like to think it was a bug, but I have my suspicions that I alone am at fault for Jack's "Most Excellent Adventure" trip to the Vet ER.
I promise, this blog will be about a whole lot more than my dog and his er, uh, habits. Sometimes we humans forget that dogs can't eat just anything. So knowing that, we throw them the occasional potato chip or whatever, right?
Well into my story enters Barney. Barney is our Fat Cat...(more on Barney in later blogs.) Barney, like all cats doesn't get fed twice a day like a dog (or once like some do.) No...Barney grazes...like a cow. This is a cat's way of eating, except in Barney's particular case I think he has a thyroid problem because he wants to eat almost constantly.
Barney's diet is twofold...dry cat food and small cans of cat food...the really tiny cans...with gravy. It's all the gravy's fault, I'm tellin' ya...it's not mine! You see, I'm a gravy conniseur. I love gravy...on mashed potatoes, on bread, with a spoon, in a glass...I could drink the stuff.
So I see Barney getting all the gravy on his kitty food and poor little Jack has to eat bone dry Puppy Chow day in and day out and I take compassion on the poor pup. Enter grilled hamburgers. Did I give hima grilled hamburger? Are you out of your mind?! Of course not! That's people food - and expensive!
But the drippings are like gravy, right? So I think to myself, "This would make that dry Puppy Chow so much more palatable for Jack...I'll just pour it on that chow and stir it up!...Yeah...that's a good idea!" So I did. Did Jack like it? Can the proverbial bird fly? He ate that chow like it was steak!
So now I've figured out how to "bless" my puppy, Jack. Therefore, he will worship me even more, right? (Nooo...dogs don't need a reason to worship you. They will worship you because...well, just because...that's why! )
But I don't have burgers everyday...(darn!) So I don't have drippings for Jack's food. So I start to think...and look around. What can I use as a good substitute? Something that is quick and easy without grilling? I cast my eyes around my pantry until they fall upon...Wesson Oil! Of course! That's like grease, but cleaner, right?!
Again I ask myself if Jack will like it and I smile to myself as he calms my fears by burying his head in the bowl. Now I am happy. My puppy readily eats his food that he had been reluctant to eat. I am so smart...I think.
For two days all goes well. On his walks Jack "does his business" like a good dog and my thoughts never once turn to his food...until Friday night. Names are funny...why certain things get particular names. "The John"...now who came up with that? But I know why they call it "the runs." Cause I ran outside, came in, ran outside, came in, ran outside, came in...approximately 50 times on Friday night. Poor Jack! His tummy was so upset...from both ends.
At 4 AM, Saturday morning I called the local vet that had never seen Jack, but did see Barney in 2008. And you know he sounded thrilled when he returned my call 10 mins. later. He told me I could use the Pepto Bismol that I had but would prefer Immodium...like I have it sitting around all the time, which I did not. It's amazing how much we did not get down Jack. His white ruff was mostly pink when we were at the vet's office at 7 AM.
The vet neglected to say he wasn't going to be in till 9 AM, so his assistant referred us to the NewBraunfels emergency clinic, 13 miles away. No biggy - we make that drive all the time and I knew right where to go.
The patient that was before Jack was an elderly terrier had just been bitten by a rattlesnake. So my emergency didn't seem quite so bad. However, being a 4 month old puppy also made Jack a priority because of dehydration.
Kudos to the Vet ER clinic. They saw Jack almost immediately after proper papers will filled out and it was explained to me that payment was to be made at the time services are rendered. Of course, of course...
The sweet female vet was very gentle and understanding of the fact that I didn't want to run a plethora of tests when in fact we felt we knew what had caused the problem. But since the treatment for the possible bad problem was the same as a basic bug, we went with the basic treatment, hoping for the best. As it turned out, the treatment worked.
That most excellent adventure cost us over $200, a lost nights sleep and Gerber baby food stock should be heading up right now. I've watched Jack very closely for the last two days, giving him the required meds, witholding food and water except by the schedule I was given.
Have you ever seen a hungry dog look at you with those eyes? It's literally pitiful. And it was all my fault...something about pancreatitis...too much fat in his diet. Whatever! Ok, ok, so I poisoned my dog...my baby puppy.
I arose on Friday morning at approximately 5:30 AM and my head didn't hit the pillow again until 10:30 AM on Saturday morning...29 plus hours. And I still love my puppy. But best of all...he still worships me!
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