I feel like a zombie, and more so than the typical Monday. Barkley, now forever known as "GastroDog", is happily sleeping on the floor with his toy after a couple of interesting evenings of "guess what I ate!"
It started out Saturday with the thought "I'm changing Barkley's name to Hoover".
He's always been a good dog about staying out of the kitchen until recently, when, with guests, dinners for two and holiday desserts, suddenly he's on alert for every crumb and goody that hits the floor and snagged more than one.
He rarely gets people food as it tends to upset his stomach. The occasional little piece of plain roast chicken, frozen peas (he loves them, nibbling them from your bare fingers like little ball bearings). But he's not particular. I've seen him chew on my old slipper, a lemon and a worm, all with the same gusto.
This weekend, guests gone, he just had dog food, no extra treats, but he snagged a big chunk of pepperoni before it even hit the floor as I assembled a homemade pizza. If a dog could smile, he would have. Later, I caught him in the garbage looking for more (once they've had a taste).
But spicy or greasy food and Barkley have never seen eye to eye.
He seemed just fine until 2 am Saturday night when I had a warm snoot in my face (and not in a good way). "I gotta go! I gotta go!" I know that panting and that dance. I found clothes and shoes and headed out the garage with him. He made a beeline for the corner of the property, 92 pounds of muscle pulling me like a Nantucket sleighride through the rain and the mud.
He wasn't kidding. He didn't just have to GO. . . .
Ever see the launch of the space shuttle?
Thar She Blows!
Once emptied, he seemed OK , drank some water and just went back to sleep. Sunday morning, he ate his bland breakfast I fixed per the vet. Within the hour he had to go out again. . now please!
Remember the Darwin Award where the guy allegedly attached a JATO bottle to the back of a car and it launched him into a cliff.
There are certain circumstances when there is not much difference between a JATO assisted 1967 Chevy Impala, and a labrador retriever digestive tract.
Just saying.
But once again, he seemed happy again after, snuffling at the floor in the kitchen for more pupperoni as if to say "it was so worth it". But I gave him just more chicken and rice. The vet said it was likely the spicy people food he snagged, and to feed him bland for another day and bring him in Monday if he wasn't better or if there were some other symptoms that she passed on. The day progressed. He seemed much better, sleeping on the couch for hours. I had to run an errand. I'd only be gone 20 minutes, I'm sure he'll be fine in the house as it's just pouring and cold out.
Wrong. I should have left him in the garage but it wasn't Barkley proofed with reloading stuff laying about in boxes. It's only 20 minutes. Right?
I came home to a happy dog sleeping on the couch and found he'd tagged the carpeting in my bedroom with the latest in intestinal graffiti.
Sigh.OK, more chicken, more rice, lots of fresh, clean water. His eyes are clear, the symptoms were exactly what I saw when a friend fed him too much bacon once. I'll take him in to the vet if he's not better by tomorrow. But he seemed better, no running outside other then lifting his leg to leave a calling card on the neighbors front shrubs just to annoy their dog.
But there I was again, in "Victoria's Secret meets Carthart", standing out in a soaking cold rain at 1:30 in the morning so he could go into into full firehose mode, as I waved at my next door neighbor, the police officer who probably thinks I need a stylist, or a new dog.
I'm getting drenched as Barkley has to sniff a half an acre of property to decide just WHICH spot to go on again. I couldn't help but have that stupid song (Chicago? Donna Summer??) in my head. . .
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Sunday nights just don't get any more glamorous.
By the time I got in and dry it was almost 2 am. By the time I got warm and back to sleep it was 4. I was up at 4:30 to go to work. But he was much perkier and even wanted to play with his favorite toy which he hadn't done all weekend. My eyes looked like Chinese flags but Mr. Barkley is OK.
I promise you we'll play a bit after Mommy has a little nap (and probably a finger of good Scotch Whiskey).I did hide the pizza menu though, don't need him ordering a pepperoni pizza for delivery while I snooze.
32 comments:
Glad to hear he's doing better!
Jimmy Webb song, first recorded by Richard Harris.
(I have it on good authority the song was about a large quantity of pot left to rot-from a CHP Sgt. at the time)
You sure know how to have a good time!
Poor Barkley, and my sympathies to you as well. Been there and done that. Had to clean the office more than once after Sasha exploded. Never fun nor pretty.
Pupperoni = bad.
I hope the best for little Barkley. Thanks for letting me know he was under the weather (or out in the weather) this weekend. My thoughts have been with him.
I'll send bacon Jell-o in the shape of a bone.
Brigid,
I did smile reading this. My daughter, her husband, and two kids live in a house with one bathroom. Getting relaxing alone time there in the morning can be an exercise in strategy and tactical planning. But, they have a large backyard....with trees...and it's dark now, too!
Brigid,
The song is MacAuthur Park by Jimmy Webb. It's been covered by almost everyone but according to Wikipedia Richard Harris recorded it first in 1968. Donna Summer's version came out in 1978.
I'm chuckling pretty loud as I mutter "poor Barkley" and "poor Brigid". Better you than me. I hope he recovers, and I hope you get some rest.
We won't talk about the 16" piece of 1/4" rope that was being dragged across my carpet by one of the girls. (The one that thinks ANYthing she can get in her mouth is edible.)
And I pulled another four inches of it out of her... ummm... then she didi'd outside and did a number in the snow and... let's just say, I can sympathise with you so very, very easily.
Ya gotta love 'em.
MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb, recorded by Richard Harris, down for the weekend from Camelot and still showing stretch marks on his shoulders from being adopted as Horse.
He's much better, no more problems at all today (but I did dog proof the garage and leave him there while I worked half a day).
I think I will still have that sip of Scotch though.
:-)
My sympathies and wishes that Gastro Dog returns to being your Barkley. We have had similar troubles with Chloe when she stole some butter or raided the trash can, etc. She rarely does the potty dance, but when she does, it is usually urgent.
I'm so sorry to hear that you and Barkley were going through that. I'm glad he's feeling better. Give him a hug and a scritch of the ears for me.
My sister-in-law's Snickerdoodle - or some kind of "doodle" ... Golden? Labra? - was a voracious muncher of things not food...particularly squeaky toys.
One of these toys had a center something like the innards of a golfball. By the time they realized the dog had yards of essentially fishing line wound into her intestines, it was too late.
This was all within the past two weeks. Thanksgiving was not a happy occasion.
Not sure how you can break a dog of chewing - and it seems amazing the degree of shredding possible in a "non-shreddable" toy.
I have no suggestions. I just wanted to pass on the tale as something to watch out for.
Q
Get well Barkley!
Why stop at one finger of good Scotch Whiskey?
I understand the 'it's soooo worth it face'. I've been known to make it myself from time to time...
Barkley....Barkley...best lay low for a bit...
I wonder if it's a Lab thing, we always saw more garbage gut labs than any other breed at the vet's.
Oh that is just NO fun... BTDT, had to take the pooch to the vet (and got the car decorated on the way)...
Brigid,
O. M. G. Now that caused me to nearly have to replace my keyboard, but thankfully I was able to get all the coffee out of it(ouch hot coffee out the nose!).
Apparently Barkley and my Great Pyrenees/Border Collie, Charlie are "brothers from different mothers" as he has a similarly touchy stomach, yet is constantly looking for opportunities to scarf an occasional bit of people food.
Old NFO - decorated. That doesn't sound good.
quizikle - thanks for passing that on.
Montie - Brigid Jr. has two great Pyreness mixes she got in college from a rescue place. They're the best dogs.
Glad to here he's better - hope you get some rest and feel as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed soon!
I'm going to bed now, too - take care!
Poor Barkles. Here's to hoping he feels better quick. Also, I think this is one of the only times we will see "too much bacon" in one of your posts.
Had similar issue with a friend's dogs...a dose of yogurt seemed to do the trick. Went outside all down-trodden; came in ready to chase squirrel toys! A complete 180!
I can sympathize - My very first night with my Border Collie, Murphy, was a "MOM I HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW!!!" moment at 2 in the morning. I never did break him of dragging stuff off of the counter, but I learned to put things he shouldn't eat far far out of reach!
Hope Barkley feels better soon!
The family Poodle used to get an upset tummy and what satisfied her was eating grass. The trick was to keep her outside until the grass had done its work!
Dear God! Brigid, you have such a way with words. "Intestinal Graffiti" almost killed me. Our pointer, Remington, cannot potty in one place- he assumes the position then marches from place to place spreading the love. One night he escaped from his crate while we were gone, and had been stricken as Barkley was. "Shit Grenade" is really the only apt description we have found. I hope Barkley gets better and recommend 4 fingers of scotch. Oh yeah, that cathart meets victoria's secret deal could be your million dollar idea- sexy, functional ranch wear.
Awww...Poor Barkley. And poor you!
Your account resonated with anyone who shares their lives with dogs. The latest episode for me involved my 100 pound Pyr tearing off after a coyote, with me in a tshirt and flip flops. The result of this adventure involved lots of horse manure, an electric fence, and a close approximation of skijoring.
Chris
My dog does the same thing whenever he gets hold of anything other than standard crunchy bits of whatever it is they put in dog food.
He's usually okay after a couple days.
Cheddar cheese helps tighten him up quicker.
Get thee a bottle of
Endosorb from the vet or the vet supply house. It works wonders for gastric distress in dogs. Our Charlie (Ridgeback mix) once suffered a bout of hemorrhagic gastroenteritis....it helped save his life...
Vic303
Second the previous idea about the plain yogurt. That'll help stop up a dog fairly quickly (and its "human food", so they'll scarf it down without a second thought). If the opposite happens, some pumpkin pie filling will open the floodgates (we have a beagle that tends to get stopped up on occasion). Lost our pet deposit and security deposit at an apartment due to this same beagle. He wouldn't "unload" outside on the grass, but get him on the carpet, and bombs away. Now his main annoyance is the fact that if something moves between 2 and 5am, he decides he has to go outside. If nothing living moves, I think the simple rotation of the earth wakes him up.
Oh my. I think this may require two fingers of Jameson to get you back to normal ;) Glad to hear the boy is doing much better!
Poor Barkley. He's so lucky to have such a great Mom!
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